"Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that the league and the network have an agreement in place which would give ESPN the right to sell all out-of-market games digitally. These rights have previously been sold by the league to consumers as the MLB.TV package. Under the agreement, ESPN will also acquire the in-market rights for the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Padres, Rockies and Twins. ESPN would also have an exclusive weekly game similar to Sunday Night Baseball, but on a different night of the week."
"MLB and ESPN have an existing contract but it is about to expire. The deal previously ran through 2028 but both sides agreed to opt out after the 2025 season. Under that deal, ESPN still has the rights to Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby and the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Those rights are open for 2026 and beyond."
ESPN and Major League Baseball have an agreement that would give ESPN the right to sell all out-of-market games digitally, a role formerly served by MLB.TV. ESPN would also acquire in-market rights for the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Padres, Rockies and Twins, and would hold an exclusive weekly national game on a different night than Sunday Night Baseball. The current ESPN-MLB contract is expiring after the 2025 season, leaving Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby and Wild Card rights open for 2026 and beyond and likely to be split among multiple buyers. The financial terms are unclear but described as substantial, and the impact on existing MLB.TV subscriptions and cable distribution remains uncertain.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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