According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, NBC is on the verge of securing a significant deal with Major League Baseball to broadcast “Sunday Night Baseball.” The anticipated three-year agreement is valued at approximately $200 million annually.
This aligns with MLB’s strategy to conclude all major media contracts by 2028, coinciding with the expiration of existing national deals with Fox and TNT Sports. Beyond Sunday night games, NBC is also negotiating for rights to Wild Card round games previously part of ESPN’s agreement. ESPN will be leaving its current MLB deal after this season.
In a separate development, Netflix is reportedly in negotiations for streaming rights to the Home Run Derby, a deal estimated at $35 million per year. MLB aims to exceed the $550 million annual revenue generated by its previous ESPN agreement. To achieve this, the league is strategically distributing media rights across multiple partners.
The Athletic reports that MLB and ESPN are close to finalizing a licensing agreement for MLB.tv, the league’s out-of-market streaming package. This proposed agreement also includes in-market rights for five teams currently under league control, and a package of around 30 exclusive weekday games.
NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts are slated for the summer, fitting between its NBA and NFL coverage. Peacock, NBC's streaming platform, is expected to carry some content, although specifics haven't been released. Yahoo Sports previously suggested Apple TV+ might exit its “Friday Night Baseball” deal, potentially paving the way for NBC and Peacock. This could move Friday night games to Peacock. However, The Athletic indicates Apple is still negotiating with MLB, leaving the future of Friday night baseball uncertain.
While no official announcements have been made, numerous news sources suggest MLB will soon confirm significant updates to its media rights structure.