Major League Baseball appears to be on the cusp of a sweeping media rights overhaul, as continued talks signal a significant recalibration in how fans will consume MLB beginning in 2026.
According to a report by Kendall Baker of Yahoo Sports, MLB is “close to being done” hammering out multiple broadcast and streaming deals, which could reshape the national baseball media landscape. These talks reportedly involve NBC/Peacock, ESPN, Netflix and Apple—with Apple poised to exit the MLB broadcasting arena entirely.
Sources indicate to Baker that NBC/Peacock are likely to assume rights to Friday Night Baseball, as well as Sunday night games and the Wild Card round—rights that Apple or ESPN will no longer hold following the conclusion of this season. Meanwhile, Netflix has emerged as the leading contender to acquire exclusive streaming rights to the Home Run Derby.
For Apple, they signed a seven-year agreement with MLB worth $85 million per year in early 2022. Losing the rights just three years into the agreement would reportedly land NBC/Peacock with Sunday Night sports in the fall/winter (NFL), winter/spring (NBA), and spring/summer (MLB).
ESPN, despite formally opting out of its longstanding national agreement earlier this year with MLB, is poised to stay deeply involved in baseball, but in a markedly different capacity. Sources report the network is in discussions to acquire MLB.TV—the league’s out-of-market streaming service—presumably to house it within ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app.
As negotiations unfold, industry observers note that MLB aims to limit the duration of these deals to three years, through the end of the 2028 season, aligning with the expiration of its current contracts with FOX Sports and TNT Sports. That strategic alignment would pave the way for a sweeping set of rights to be collectively rebid in 2028—possibly including local and regional rights.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has previously expressed optimism that, despite the complexity of the negotiations, the league is well positioned to lock in new broadcast partners by year end. Although he had set a goal for the annual MLB All Star break last month, Manfred said on ESPN’s telecast of Sunday Night Baseball he expects to make announcements in the coming weeks.
MLB, ESPN, NBC, Apple, or NBC/Peacock have not commented publicly about the latest report.
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