Elephant Rumblings: Let’s Talk TV

SB Nation

After months of speculation, and weeks of not-so-tight-lipped secrets, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced its new partners for media rights yesterday. In the release, MLB stated that it has formed new three-year

media rights agreements with Netflix, NBCUniversal and ESPN. This came as a bit of a surprise to many after ESPN announced in February of this year that telecasts of Major League Baseball games would conclude at the end of the 2025 season. This also comes on the heels of the news that ESPN has finalized but not officially announced its purchase of MLB.TV, Major League Baseball’s digital out-of-market service.

Local coverage for A’s fans should go unchanged with both cable broadcasts and streaming being provided by NBC Sports California. MLB’s relationship with NBC dates to August 1939 when what would become the network’s flagship station, WNBC, in New York City televised the first ever MLB television broadcast of the Brooklyn Dodgers facing off against the Cincinnati Reds. This new contract re-establishes a broadcast relationship that spanned 1947-1989 and 1994-2000. I know I was raised on the MLB “Game of the Week.” NBC will now take over the Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts from ESPN. When there are other major sporting event conflicts, some games may move to NBCSN and/or the Peacock streaming service.

ESPN will retain it’s relationship with MLB, established in 1990, despite the earlier announcement which was met with mixed reviews from baseball fans nationwide. Fans will now be able to purchase MLB.TV directly from ESPN or through other package deals. ESPN will televise mid-week MLB games throughout the season, although specific details were not announced.

It appears the Netflix component of this MLB deal will be more about special event game coverage. They’ll cover the full 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) for its Japanese audience as well as Opening Night games for the next three years, the “Field of Dreams” game, The Home Run Derby, and it will continue producing ongoing baseball documentary series for US subscribers.

There are a lot more details to be released before the season starts, but this sets the stage for what’s to come. Have a great Thursday everyone, we’re just one week until Thanksgiving.

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