MLB Finalizing New Broadcast Deals with ESPN, NBC, Netflix

Major League Baseball’s ever-evolving broadcast landscape is about to take its next shape with new deals soon to be announced with ESPN, NBC, and Netflix. This comes via multiple reports, the most comprehensive of which is from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. According to Marchand, NBC/Peacock is expected to pay around $200 million annually for Sunday night baseball and the first round of postseason play, while Netflix will pay nearly $50 million for the first Opening Day game, the Home Run Derby, and the Field of Dreams game.

Those agreements all run for three years, which is because ESPN opted out of the remainder of a contract that was due to pay MLB $1.65 billion. Instead, the Four-Letter Network’s involvement will include taking over MLB.TV for the same amount as what was opted out of in the original deal. That gives ESPN the rights to all out-of-market games for all 30 teams and in-market rights for six clubs — Padres, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Guardians, Twins, Rockies — that the league took over following the crumbling of several regional sports networks.

ESPN will also have 30 exclusive weeknight games spread throughout the season, and ESPN Radio will remain the home of Sunday Night Baseball, the playoffs in both leagues, and the World Series. Though no specific information is available on exactly how ESPN will market MLB.TV, Marchand said it’s expected that the price will remain at $150 per year. There will likely be tie-ins with the network’s direct-to-consumer app.

I know this probably rankles a lot of fans who aren’t big on streaming services, but it doesn’t really present much of a change from the current state of things. The Netflix coverage is more for novelty broadcasts, and having games on NBC should actually increase access for most. Peacock is the big exception, especially if they put some postseason games there.

More to come as details are officially announced.