Subscribe to NCS for the latest news, project case studies and product announcements in broadcast technology, creative design and engineering delivered to your inbox.
NBC is close to securing a deal with Major League Baseball to broadcast “Sunday Night Baseball,” according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
The agreement is expected to be valued near $200 million annually and would run for three years.
The arrangement would align with MLB’s current strategy of timing all major media deals to expire by 2028, when existing national contracts with Fox and TNT Sports conclude. In addition to Sunday night games, NBC is also in discussions to acquire rights to Wild Card round games originally included in ESPN’s agreement. ESPN is set to exit its current MLB deal after this season.
Netflix is also negotiating to acquire streaming rights to the Home Run Derby in a deal estimated to cost $35 million per year.
MLB is seeking to surpass the $550 million in annual revenue generated under its previous ESPN agreement. To achieve this, the league is offering a broader set of media rights to multiple partners.
According to a separate report by The Athletic, MLB and ESPN are close to finalizing a licensing agreement for the league’s out-of-market streaming package, MLB.tv. The proposed agreement also includes in-market rights for five clubs currently under league control, along with a package of about 30 exclusive weekday games.
NBC’s planned Sunday night broadcasts would air during the summer, between its NBA and NFL coverage.
The network’s streaming platform, Peacock, is also expected to carry a portion of the content, though specific details remain undisclosed.
Reporting by Yahoo Sports previously suggested Apple TV+ might exit its current “Friday Night Baseball” arrangement, with NBC and Peacock as potential successors. If that happens, Friday night games could move to Peacock. However, The Athletic notes that Apple remains in active negotiations with MLB, and the future of the Friday night package has not been finalized.
No agreements have been officially announced, but multiple outlets’ reporting indicates MLB may soon confirm updates to its media rights structure.
