NEW YORK, (WOWO) – Major League Baseball is shaking up its broadcast future with a new three-year media rights agreement that keeps ESPN on board while restoring NBC as a game carrier for the first time in more than two decades — and introducing Netflix as a live-game partner for the first time.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the deal Wednesday, calling it a major step forward in expanding the league’s reach across a mix of traditional and streaming platforms.
“Our new media rights agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix provide us with a great opportunity to expand our reach to fans through three powerful destinations for live sports, entertainment and marquee events,” Manfred said.
The agreement ensures MLB games will appear on ESPN for the 39th straight season. But the late-summer tradition of Sunday Night Baseball will shift to NBC, which will also air the Wild Card Series. NBC’s first broadcast under the new deal will be Opening Day in primetime, featuring the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Netflix will take over several high-profile events, including the Home Run Derby and the Field of Dreams Game. The move marks a significant leap into live sports for the streaming giant after several years of expanding its sports documentary portfolio.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said the partnership builds on the strong audience interest its baseball documentaries have already generated.
“Now, we are seizing that moment by bringing massive cultural spectacles, from opening night to the Home Run Derby — directly to our members,” Bajaria said.
NBC Sports President Rick Cordella welcomed MLB’s return to the network’s lineup, highlighting a schedule that includes Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock, along with exclusive Sunday morning broadcasts.
“We can’t wait for the first pitch in primetime on March 26,” Cordella said.
The new agreements come amid rising engagement across MLB platforms. Manfred pointed to growing attendance, viewership and social media consumption, as well as the surge of rising stars and new rule changes that have sped up the pace of play and boosted fan interest.
MLB games last aired on NBC in 2000, ending a longtime broadcast history that began in 1947. The league’s renewed partnership with the network — combined with ESPN’s continued presence and Netflix’s debut — represents one of baseball’s most significant media overhauls in years.
Additional terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
