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3w ago

MLB Nears Three-Year Rights Reset as ESPN Moves to License MLB.TV

The three-year term positions MLB for a 2028 overhaul in response to the RSN collapse.

BOSTON, MA - JULY 15: A general view of the ESPN logo on a broadcast camera during a WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on July 15, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
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Overview

  • Under a reported framework not yet finalized, ESPN would fold MLB.TV into its new direct-to-consumer service and gain in‑market streaming rights for the Guardians, Padres, Twins, Diamondbacks, and Rockies.
  • ESPN is expected to carry roughly 30 exclusive regular-season games on a non-Sunday night, while Sunday Night Baseball and some wild-card games are poised to shift to NBC/Peacock and the Home Run Derby is expected to go to Netflix.
  • An announcement is expected next month, with deals targeted for 2026–2028 to align with existing Fox and TBS contracts that expire in 2028.
  • Pricing and access details remain unresolved, including whether MLB.TV will require an ESPN subscription, how cable authentication will work, and whether MLB Extra Innings will still bundle MLB.TV access.
  • Local blackout rules are expected to remain in effect through 2028, and the changes reflect MLB’s pivot away from struggling RSNs such as Diamond Sports toward centralized national streaming.