Overview

• MLB’s national TV viewership has surged to its highest midseason levels since 2017, with Fox, ESPN and TBS all reporting year-over-year gains through the All-Star break.
• ESPN’s early opt-out in February ended its 35-year partnership under a $550 million-per-year rights deal and spurred MLB to seek new broadcast partners.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB has made “real progress” toward a successor agreement and expects it to be finalized shortly after the All-Star Game.
• MLB is weighing bids from Apple TV+, NBCUniversal and Amazon for at least part of ESPN’s expiring package, which could be awarded to a single partner or split across multiple platforms for 2026–28.
• Faster pace-of-play rules and Nielsen’s expanded out-of-home viewing metrics have contributed significantly to the ratings uplift.