Major League Baseball is finalizing a massive media rights shuffle that will see Apple exit its 'Friday Night Baseball' deal, with NBC taking over key packages, ESPN acquiring MLB.TV, and Netflix landing the Home Run Derby, according to a scoop from Kendall Baker of Yahoo Sports.
The new roster: The deal positions NBC and its Peacock streamer to take over Friday night games, add the coveted “Sunday Night Baseball” package, and secure a slate of Wild Card playoff games. Netflix nabs the Home Run Derby, securing a marquee live event without committing to a full season of games.
Full circle: The move is a twist for ESPN, which triggered the scramble by backing out of its own $550 million-a-year deal. The network is now set to acquire MLB.TV, a move that aligns with its push for local sports rights ahead of its flagship direct-to-consumer launch.
The house that baseball built: The deal is particularly ironic for Disney, which spent nearly $4 billion to acquire BAMTech—the streaming technology company originally spun out of MLB Advanced Media—to power services like ESPN+. Now, Disney is effectively buying back the original product that started it all.
The 2028 pitch: The new deals are expected to be short-term, three-year agreements. The strategy is to align all of MLB's media rights to expire at the same time, setting up a full market reset for the league after the 2028 season.
