Major League Baseball has clinched new three-year media rights deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Netflix, covering the 2026 to 2028 seasons.
“Our new media rights agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix provide us with a great opportunity to expand our reach to fans through three powerful destinations for live sports, entertainment, and marquee events,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Following our last World Series game that averaged more than 51 million viewers globally, these partnerships build on MLB’s growing momentum that includes generational stars setting new standards for excellence, new rules which have improved the game on the field, and increases in important fan engagement metrics like viewership, attendance, participation and social media consumption. We’re looking forward to tapping into the unique areas of expertise that ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix each bring to the sport for the benefit of our fans.”
The ESPN agreement continues coverage through 39 consecutive seasons, featuring a 30-game package for linear and the app.
ESPN has landed the rights to sell and distribute MLB.TV, the league’s streaming service, across ESPN’s digital and streaming platforms. ESPN will also sell and distribute, via the ESPN app, MLB Network and in-market games for select teams.
“This fan-friendly agreement allows us to showcase the great sport of baseball on both a local and national level, while prioritizing our streaming future,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN. “MLB.TV is a coveted, must-have companion for passionate MLB fans all over the country, and it will be strongly complemented by our national game package and in-market team rights—all within the ESPN app.”
NBC will bring MLB games to its network for the first time in 26 years. The package of rights includes Sunday Night Baseball, Sunday Leadoff, and all four Wild Card Series of the Postseason. Games will also be available on cable on NBCSN and streaming via Peacock.
“We are excited to welcome Major League Baseball back to the NBC Sports family as we showcase the best in the game with Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock, the first game of the day on most Sunday mornings exclusively on Peacock and NBCSN, and the full Wild Card round across NBC, NBCSN and Peacock,” said Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports.
Netflix’s partnership is expanded to include live baseball event coverage for the first time. As previously announced, the streamer will deliver all 47 games of the 2026 World Baseball Classic to its audience in Japan.
“We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Major League Baseball,” said Bela Bajaria, chief content officer, Netflix. “We started with critically-acclaimed documentaries, deepening the existing global passion for baseball. Now, we are seizing that moment by bringing massive cultural spectacles—from Opening Night to the Home Run Derby—directly to our members, reinforcing Netflix as the ultimate home for both the story and the sport.”
