Sports Media with Richard Deitsch Major League Baseball's new media deals — and here comes Netflix
Nov 21, 2025
Austin Karp, a sports media reporter for Sports Business Journal, and Jon Lewis, founder of Sports Media Watch, dive into Major League Baseball's new three-year media rights deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Netflix. They explore the implications of NBC's return to MLB coverage after 26 years and how Netflix plans to elevate events like the Home Run Derby. The duo analyzes ESPN's acquisition of MLB.TV rights and the potential future of the World Series amid evolving broadcast strategies and fan engagement.
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ESPN's MLB.TV Move Is Strategic, Not Simple
- ESPN acquiring MLB.TV and a 30-game package is a strategic pivot, not just a streaming add-on.
- The full integration and distribution plan remains undecided and will evolve over the three-year window.
Plan For A Phased Streaming Integration
- Prepare engineering and product work early when transferring streaming rights like MLB.TV to a new distributor.
- Expect transitional access via legacy platforms while the new integration is designed and built.
Broadcast Exposure Trumps Big Fees For MLB
- NBCUniversal's package gives MLB valuable broadcast exposure despite modest rights fees.
- Sunday Night Baseball on NBC will feel bigger because of NBC's primetime positioning and cross-promotion with other marquee properties.