The biggest knock for MLB fans is how the league chooses to deliver its product. MLB’s blackout restrictions are among the worst in sports, as you can be several states away from a team and still be blacked out from their games.
However, there is hope on the horizon. Major League Baseball, ESPN, and NBC have entered into a new media rights deal. While the exact semantics and details still need to be worked out, this represents a significant step in the right direction toward making baseball more accessible to fans across the country.
Here’s more on the new media rights deal between MLB, ESPN, and NBC.
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MLB television rights deal
The league struck a deal with ESPN and NBC. Per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, MLB.TV will now be part of the new ESPN Unlimited direct-to-consumer platform, and the company would have “the exclusive rights to sell all out-of-market regular-season games digitally and in-market games for five clubs over the next three years.”
The deal would see ESPN receive MLB.TV, the in-market rights to five teams, and about 30 weekday games. Notably, the league’s deal with Apple TV for Friday night games is no more, but the platform is interested in another deal with MLB, per Joe Flint and Isabella Simonetti from the Wall Street Journal.
The agreement, projected to begin in 2026, would see ESPN lose “Sunday Night Baseball,” but the company would retain another night of the week. “Sunday Night Baseball” will instead be aired on NBC. NBC could also secure some of the playoff games that ESPN forfeited when it opted out of its original deal with MLB, which had three years left.
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What games will be on ESPN?
ESPN is set to have the rights to MLB.TV. This would give it access to every team’s out-of-market games. ESPN would also acquire the rights to in-market games for five teams currently under MLB control. This includes the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies. ESPN would also get access to 30 national games for its platforms. Notably, ESPN would lose “Sunday Night Baseball.
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What games will be on NBC?
“Sunday Night Baseball” will be aired on NBC. The network is also looking to acquire the wild-card playoff games that ESPN gave up after ending its prior contract with MLB three years early. NBC could also attempt to acquire the Friday night games and air them on Peacock.
