Major League Baseball closes in on new media rights deals with ESPN, NBC, Netflix
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The three-year media rights deals for packages of live games come after ESPN opted out of its $550 million-per-year deal for Sunday Night Baseball.
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August 22, 2025
06:44 PM
CNBC
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Overall view of Truist Park in the fifth inning during game two of a double header between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins on August 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia
Matthew Grimes Jr. | Atlanta Braves | Getty ImagesMajor League Baseball is nearing a finalized agreement with Disney's ESPN, Comcast's NBC Sports and Netflix on a new three-year media rights deals for packages of games.Earlier this year, ESPN opted out of its $550 million-per-year deal for Sunday Night Baseball
That package will be split into two parts for 2026-2028, if a deal closes
An agreement hasn't yet been finalized and may still fall apart.Get the CNBC Sport directly to your inboxThe CNBC Sport with Alex Sherman brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports and media, dered weekly to your inbox. here to get access today.Under the terms currently being discussed, NBC would acquire all of the league's Sunday games and Wild Card playoff games for $200 million per year, according to people familiar with the matter
Netflix will get the rights to the Run Derby for $50 million a year, according to two people familiar with the deal.ESPN is getting a brand new package of rights for $550 million, according to people familiar with the matter
ESPN has roughly assigned $450 million in value to license MLB TV, the league's digital out-of-market package of games
ESPN is also acquiring in-market games to five local teams — the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies — and will get a new mid-week package of national games
All of the agreements end after the 2028 season.MLB, NBC, ESPN and Netflix all declined to on the deal.Under a three-year deal, MLB would be able to reorganize its media rights after the 2028 season.MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a memo to the league's teams in February saying that ESPN had asked the league to "reduce the amount (ESPN) pay for MLB content over the remainder of the term.""We do not think it's beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform," Manfred wrote to MLB owners in the memo first obtained by The Athletic. — This is news
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