Comcast’s NBCUniversal is closing in on a three-year deal with Major League Baseball worth nearly $200 million per year. The agreement would bring Sunday night games to NBC and Sunday morning matchups to Peacock, while also including select Wild Card playoff games. This move signals a broader reconfiguration of MLB’s media partners ahead of the 2025 season.
NBC’s package would fill gaps in its Sunday night programming on weeks when it does not carry NFL or NBA games. For Peacock, this strengthens its push into live sports, a category Comcast is leaning on to drive subscriber growth and reduce churn.
Netflix is also close to locking in its own MLB deal. The streamer is expected to acquire rights to the Home Run Derby beginning in 2026, in a multi-year agreement reportedly worth more than $35 million annually. This would be Netflix’s most high-profile step into live sports, reflecting its selective strategy of targeting singular, high-impact events.
At the same time, ESPN is working on a new model. The network is in discussions to integrate MLB.TV into its newly launched direct-to-consumer platform. It is also negotiating a modified rights package that could include a mix of national and in-market games. ESPN’s current contract, originally set to run through 2028, will now conclude after the 2025 season.
MLB already has active media rights deals with Fox, Turner and Apple, worth $729 million, $470 million and $85 million per year, respectively. The league appears to be unbundling its rights to bring in new partners while adjusting to changing viewer habits and platform demands.
None of the companies involved has commented on the negotiations.
