MLB Shifts National Rights As NBC Netflix And ESPN Sign New Deals For 2026

MLB struck a three-year media rights deal with NBC, Netflix, and ESPN starting in 2026, with NBC taking over Sunday nights and Netflix airing the next three Home Run Derbies. ESPN exited its Sunday Night Baseball package but signed a new agreement including MLB.TV distribution and midweek games. MLB will earn about $250M a year from NBC and Netflix combined—roughly $300M less than ESPN previously paid.