Overview

• ESPN exercised an opt-out clause on its $550 million-per-year contract at season’s end, ending a 35-year partnership and opening Sunday Night Baseball rights for rebidding.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that NBCUniversal, Apple TV+ and ESPN have each submitted bids for the premier Sunday night package.
• The league is targeting a short-term national media rights agreement through 2028 that would allocate broadcast and streaming duties across multiple partners instead of a single rights holder.
• Audience growth—highlighted by a 5% year-over-year increase in Home Run Derby viewership and a season-high 1.71 million average per Sunday Night Baseball game—has strengthened MLB’s negotiating leverage.
• With Fox and TBS contracts set to expire in 2028, MLB aims to synchronize future deals and is bolstering its distribution mix through existing partnerships with Apple TV+ for Friday Night Baseball and Roku’s Sunday Leadoff.