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Major League Baseball on television

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Major League Baseball on television, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025
Major League Baseball on television
Company typeSports broadcasting
IndustryTelevision broadcasting, Sports media
Founded1939
Headquarters
United States
Area served
United States, Canada, United Kingdom
ProductsMLB game broadcasts on network TV, cable, and streaming platforms

Major League Baseball (MLB) has been broadcast on television in the United States since the 1950s, initially through experimental transmissions on W2XBS (currently known as WNBC) based in New York. The World Series has been shown on network television starting in 1947, with national broadcasts of regular season games commencing in 1953. Over the decades, MLB became a cornerstone for major networks, including the Big Three—ABC, CBS, and NBC—each offering various game packages until the year 2000. The emergence of Fox as a major network was partly fueled by securing MLB broadcasting rights in 1996; Fox continues to serve as MLB’s main broadcast partner.

MLB telecasts played a pivotal role in the expansion of cable television, particularly through out-of-market games that attracted audiences to superstations such as WGN and WTBS, which featured Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves matchups respectively. Since 1990, MLB has been integral to ESPN’s lineup, while TBS, which evolved from WTBS, has provided national game coverage since 2007. In 2009, MLB introduced its own cable channel, MLB Network, showcasing multiple live games each week. Furthermore, Fox’s cable outlets, including Fox Sports 1, have broadcast MLB contests since 2014.

MLB ventured into streaming in 2017 when Twitter and Facebook acquired initial rights; subsequently, platforms such as YouTube and Peacock also joined the streaming landscape. As of 2024, streaming rights are held by Apple TV+ and The Roku Channel.

Games that are not nationally televised are typically shown locally by regional sports networks or stations affiliated with the home teams. Certain national broadcasts are non-exclusive, permitting concurrent local telecasts.

In Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays stand out as the only Canadian franchise; their games are broadcast nationally on Sportsnet, which has maintained Canadian broadcasting rights since 1999 and also simulcasts other U.S.-based MLB games.

National television broadcasters

Terrestrial television

Cable television

Internet television

  • Apple TV+: airing Friday Night Baseball since 2022
  • Facebook: streamed games from 2017 to 2019
  • Max (simulcasting TBS broadcasts): available from 2023 onward
  • Peacock: featured MLB Sunday Leadoff starting with the 2021 Phillies vs. Giants series, continuing through 2023
  • Twitter: broadcasts held between 2017 and 2018
  • YouTube: hosted MLB Game of the Week Live from 2019 through 2022
  • The Roku Channel: streaming MLB Sunday Leadoff beginning in 2024

Timeline

  |   Major League Baseball on ABC ABC   |   1989   |    |    Major League Baseball on Fox Sports Networks Fox Sports Net    |    1997-1999    |    |    Major League Baseball on Fox Family Fox Family Channel    |    2000-2001    |    |    ESPN Major League Baseball ESPN    |    2003-2006    |    |    MLB Network Showcase MLB Network    |    2009-present    |    |    ESPN Major League Baseball ESPN    |    2017-present    |    |    MLB on Fox Fox    |    2019-present    | Friday Night Baseball Friday eveningsESPN Major League Baseball ESPNThe Baseball Network The Baseball Network (NBC)Friday Night Baseball Apple TV+
Timeslot Network(s) Years
Sunday afternoons and mornings CBS 1957–1965
NBC 1959–1964
ABC 1977–1987
NBC 1987
CBS 1990–1991
TBS 2008–2021
NBC
Peacock 		2022–2023
The Roku Channel 2024–present
Sunday evenings ESPN 1990–2025
ABC 2021 (single game)
ESPN2 2022–2025
Monday evenings NBC 1967–1975
ABC 1976–1988
ESPN 1992–1993
The Baseball Network (ABC) 1994–1995
FX 1997
ESPN 2006–2021
Fox Sports 1 2020
MLB Network 2020–present
Fox Sports 1 2022–present
Tuesday evenings ESPN 1990–1997
FX 1997–1998
Fox Sports 1 2014–2021
TBS/Max 2022–present
TruTV 2024–present
UniMás
TUDN 		2024–present
Wednesday evenings ESPN 1990–2025
Fox Sports 1 2020–present
MLB Network 2022–present
Thursday Night Baseball  Thursday evenings

  |   USA Network Thursday Night Baseball USA Network

  |   1979-1983

  |

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This revision condenses the original content by approximately ten percent, concentrating primarily on the key broadcasting partnerships and chronological network schedules for Major League Baseball across over-the-air, cable, and digital platforms within the United States. It removes redundancies while retaining essential data regarding networks, active years, and strategic media outlets critical to MLB’s distribution strategy.

Canada

In Canada, the national English and French broadcasting rights for Major League Baseball are held by Sportsnet and Réseau des sports (RDS), respectively. These networks air regular-season contests, the All-Star Game, and postseason matchups. Historically, these rights were previously held by The Score from 2001 to 2002, TSN between 1990 and 2000, and CTV from 1981 through 1996. Since 2010, Sportsnet has subleased the rights for Sunday Night Baseball to TSN2, in return for TSN transferring its remaining rights to Toronto Blue Jays games over to Sportsnet.

As the only MLB franchise in Canada, Blue Jays games are broadcast nationwide on Sportsnet and its sister channel Sportsnet One in English, while selected games in French are shown on TVA Sports. Games exclusively available on digital platforms such as Apple TV+ are not carried by Sportsnet. Historically, TSN served as the main broadcaster from 1984 until 1998 and intermittently until 2009; during various periods, CBC and CTV also provided national coverage.

Up until 2022, Blue Jays commentators were not permitted to create their own postseason broadcasts and instead relied on national U.S. telecasts during playoff appearances (for example, CBS in 1992–93, Fox in 2015, and TBS in 2016). This was in contrast with other Canadian franchises in leagues like the NBA, NHL, and MLS, which were allowed to produce their own playoff coverage. In 2022, MLB officially designated Sportsnet as a national broadcaster, enabling it to produce independent Blue Jays playoff telecasts.

United Kingdom

Major League Baseball has been regularly televised in the United Kingdom since the 1980s. Coverage initially appeared on Channel 4, then moved to the satellite channel Screensport, before transitioning to Sky Sports following Screensport’s closure in 1993.

In 1997, terrestrial broadcaster Channel 5 secured rights and aired two games per week, including Sunday Night Baseball under the banner MLB on Five. However, Channel 5 discontinued MLB broadcasts after the 2008 season due to financial challenges linked to the Great Recession.

Starting in 2006, NASN acquired rights to air ten live MLB games weekly; after ESPN's acquisition of NASN in 2009, it was rebranded as ESPN America. In 2013, BT Sport took over ESPN UK's MLB rights, offering numerous weekly games alongside ESPN-produced programming like Baseball Tonight.

From 2023 onward, TNT Sports replaced BT Sport as the MLB broadcaster but no longer includes ESPN-produced shows.

Beginning with the inaugural MLB London Series in 2019, the BBC started airing selected games. A new agreement in 2022 expanded BBC’s coverage to encompass games played in the United States for the first time.

First broadcast

Following television’s debut at the 1939 World's Fair, experimental station W2XBS transmitted the first-ever televised major league baseball contests—a doubleheader featuring the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers—on August 26, 1939.

1953–1959

In , ABC executive Edgar J. Scherick proposed introducing a Saturday Game of the Week to Major League Baseball. With fewer affiliates than networks like CBS or NBC, ABC sought paid programming opportunities. Initially reluctant, ABC permitted Scherick to arrange participation; only three teams—the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox—agreed. To safeguard local broadcasts within fifty miles of major league cities, MLB restricted these telecasts’ reach nationally despite ABC’s efforts to grow viewership.

In 1955, CBS assumed control of Saturday's Game, supported by sponsorship from the Falstaff Brewing Corporation. The network retained announcers such as Dizzy Dean and Buddy Blattner, adding Sunday broadcasts by .

By , ABC aired a best-of-three playoff series deciding the National League pennant between the Milwaukee Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The cigarette brand L&M sponsored all these telecasts.

1960–1965

In , ABC resumed its baseball broadcasts by presenting late-afternoon Saturday matchups, with Jack Buck and Carl Erskine serving as the primary commentators for a single season.

Typically, ABC aired three games each week: two from the Eastern or Central Time Zone, and a late game often hosted at the home stadiums of the San Francisco Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers. The Milwaukee Braves frequently scheduled their Saturday home games for late afternoon, enabling ABC to televise a late game even when both the Giants and Dodgers were playing away.

By 1964, CBS' announcers Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese covered major venues such as Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. New York received $550,000 from CBS’ total rights fees of $895,000. Meanwhile, six teams exclusively televised on NBC earned a combined $1.2 million.

On July 17, , a Los Angeles contest between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers marked the first subscription-based cable baseball broadcast. The Dodgers secured a 3–2 victory with pitcher Don Drysdale recording ten strikeouts.

ABC invested $5.7 million for broadcasting rights to 28 Saturday and holiday Games of the Week, excluding the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, who maintained separate agreements. This contract featured two regionally televised Saturday games plus Independence Day and Labor Day matchups, with blackout restrictions in the home markets of participating teams.

1966–1975

On October 19, 1965, NBC inked a three-year agreement with Major League Baseball that replaced CBS's previous limited coverage. NBC’s package included 28 games annually—a notable decrease from the combined total of 123 games aired by three networks in 1960.

NBC paid roughly $6 million per year for 25 Games of the Week, $6.1 million for both the 1967 World Series and All-Star Game, and $6.5 million for their 1968 equivalents, amounting to $30.6 million overall including three Monday night broadcasts.

By 1969, MLB had grown to 24 teams, with local television revenues rising sharply to $20.7 million from just $2.3 million in 1950 when only 16 teams existed. The league's expansion and extension of the regular season from 154 to 162 games expanded both network and local TV audiences.

From 1972 through 1975, NBC’s contract for Monday night games was valued at $72 million. In 1973, NBC extended its Monday night telecasts to span 15 consecutive weeks, subject to local blackouts. The final NBC Monday Night Baseball aired on September 1, 1975.

The intense competition of the 1975 World Series led to significant increases in television contracts—now shared between NBC and ABC—as well as boosts in attendance and player salaries. This series helped solidify baseball’s role as America's premier sport over football.

1976–1989: ABC and NBC alternate coverage

Between 1976 and 1979, ABC and NBC jointly invested $92.8 million under an MLB contract. ABC paid $12.5 million annually for Monday night games (starting with 16 in 1976 and rising to 18) plus half of the postseason coverage (League Championship Series in even years; World Series in odd years). NBC contributed $10.7 million yearly for 25 Saturday Games of the Week along with the remaining half of postseason broadcasts.

MLB media director John Lazarus observed that adding ABC expanded ratings reach beyond a single network’s audience. Although NBC broadcaster Joe Garagiola initially resisted sharing broadcast rights, he recognized that his network maintained substantial coverage.

By 1980, television revenue accounted for an unprecedented 30% of MLB’s total income of $500 million.

The cable television era emerged in the 1970s when Ted Turner's WTBS acquired local broadcasting rights for the Atlanta Braves, eventually purchasing the team and distributing WTBS nationally as one of the first superstations. Beginning in 1977, WTBS aired Braves games nationwide under the moniker "America's Team."

In 1980, twenty-two clubs participated in a one-year cable agreement with UA-Columbia to air Thursday night Game of the Week broadcasts outside major league markets. Though this deal generated less than $500,000 for MLB, it laid groundwork for a subsequent two-year contract covering between 40 and 45 games each season.

On April 7, 1983, MLB partnered with ABC and NBC on a six-year television package valued at $1.2 billion. The networks alternated playoff coverage (ABC during even years; NBC during odd), World Series broadcasts (ABC odd years; NBC even), and All-Star Games (ABC even years; NBC odd). Each of the league’s 26 teams received an annual payment of $7 million regardless of attendance figures—up from a previous average of $1.9 million per year. ABC contributed $575 million for prime time and Sunday afternoon games; NBC paid $550 million for thirty Saturday afternoon contests.

By 1986, ABC had reduced its Monday Night Baseball schedule to just 13 games compared to the previous high of 18 in 1978. Industry analysts suggested that ABC favored postseason rights over regular-season game broadcasts during this period.

Financial Overview

  • 1983 – Networks advanced $20 million combined.
  • 1984 – NBC contributed $70 million, ABC $56 million, totaling $126 million.
  • 1985 – NBC invested $61 million, ABC $75 million, with a combined total of $136 million.

Note: In 1985, MLB expanded the League Championship Series from a best-of-five to best-of-seven format, resulting in an additional $9 million paid to the networks.

  • 1986 – NBC provided $75 million, ABC $66 million, summing to $141 million.
  • 1987 – NBC’s payment rose to $81 million, ABC’s to $90 million, totaling $171 million.
  • 1988 – NBC allocated $90 million, ABC contributed $96 million, for a total of $186 million.
  • 1989 – NBC paid $106 million, ABC increased to $125 million, reaching a combined total of $231 million.

Major League Baseball on CBS and ESPN: 1990–1993

On December 14, 1988, CBS secured exclusive Major League Baseball television rights for four years starting in 1990, investing nearly $1.8 billion. This agreement entailed an annual expenditure of approximately $265 million for broadcasting the World Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the Saturday Game of the Week, representing one of the most substantial baseball media contracts at that time.

The deal included yearly payments of $10 million per team plus an extra $4 million derived from cable agreements. Teams retained the ability to negotiate local television contracts; for instance, the New York Yankees established a 12-year contract worth $41 million annually with cable channel MSG. Additional revenue streams were generated through radio rights. Despite these lucrative arrangements, CBS ultimately incurred losses nearing half a billion dollars and unsuccessfully requested rebates from MLB.

On January 5, 1989, MLB entered a $400 million contract with ESPN to broadcast over 175 games annually starting in 1990. ESPN's programming included six weekly games such as Sunday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Baseball, and doubleheaders on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The arrival of ESPN and subsequently Fox Sports revolutionized sports broadcasting by amplifying baseball’s media presence. The proliferation of highlight packages and around-the-clock sports news significantly enhanced player exposure compared to earlier eras. This expansion in media coverage paralleled a surge in television revenue—by 1993, local TV income surpassed $618 million, reflecting a fifteenfold increase from the early 1970s. Consequently, average player salaries escalated nearly ten times to over $1.3 million amid the growth of free agency and arbitration.

On April 15, , ESPN premiered Sunday Night Baseball with commentators Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. In its inaugural year, the program achieved an average Nielsen rating of 3.0—twice ESPN’s overall average rating of 1.5. By , ESPN recorded its highest baseball viewership with a 9.5 rating during Mark McGwire’s historic season hitting his record-tying 61st home run.

The Baseball Network: 1994–1995

After CBS experienced financial difficulties with its MLB contract, Major League Baseball assumed control over broadcast production by collaborating with ABC and NBC in a revenue-sharing initiative named The Baseball Network.

This six-year arrangement allocated MLB 85% of the first $140 million generated from advertising (or 87.5% including sponsorship revenues until reaching a certain threshold), followed by 50% of the subsequent $30 million and 80% of any additional income. This model contrasted with previous agreements where MLB received roughly 55% from rights fees. Compared to CBS’s earlier contract, The Baseball Network was projected to yield about half as much broadcasting revenue. Advertisers favored this new structure due to modifications designed to enhance ratings, especially among younger demographics.

ABC and NBC were granted exclusive MLB broadcasting privileges under this plan while mitigating their financial risks through shared losses. Post-1994 All-Star Game, NBC aired six prime-time regular-season games; ABC broadcasted six more thereafter. These regular-season telecasts were promoted as Baseball Night in America, featuring up to fourteen regional games chosen by affiliate stations rather than a single national broadcast. In even-numbered years, NBC held rights to the All-Star Game and League Championship Series; ABC covered the World Series and Division Series—these rights alternated during odd-numbered years.

The Baseball Network dissolved following the cancellation of the 1994 World Series due to the players' strike. In 1995, ABC and NBC divided coverage of that year's World Series but soon withdrew from their MLB partnership amid ongoing labor disputes and criticism for replacing local market coverage with national advertising models. Both networks committed to ending their MLB affiliations for the remainder of the decade.

This venture resulted in losses amounting to $95 million in advertising revenue and nearly half a billion dollars in national and local expenditures.

Meanwhile, ESPN renewed its baseball broadcasting agreement in 1994 for six years at an annual cost of $42.5 million (totaling $255 million), but this contract was terminated after the 1995 season, necessitating renegotiation.

Baseball's transition to Fox and NBC: 1996–2000

Following the conclusion of The Baseball Network, Major League Baseball entered into an agreement on November 7, 1995, with both Fox and NBC. Fox paid a slightly reduced fee compared to the previous CBS contract and resumed regional broadcasts of about 16 Saturday afternoon regular season games, maintaining The Baseball Network's regional broadcast approach with four exclusive games per time zone. Fox introduced this period under the slogan "Same game, new attitude."

The five-year, $400 million contract (1996–2000) assigned NBC to cover the All-Star Game, alternating coverage of the Championship Series and World Series, as well as broadcasting three Division Series games each year, but NBC did not televise regular season matchups.

In 1996, ESPN began a five-year, $440 million agreement to air Wednesday doubleheaders, Sunday night Game of the Week broadcasts, and postseason contests not covered by Fox or NBC. MLB scheduled first-round playoff games at staggered times to optimize ESPN's daily coverage.

That same year, MLB introduced its out-of-market viewing package, MLB Extra Innings, available exclusively on DirecTV, providing fans access to regionally televised games outside their local markets.

Starting in 1997, Fox collaborated with Liberty Media Cable in a four-year, $172 million joint venture to present two non-exclusive weeknight games on Fox Sports Net and FX (which later became Fox Family).

2001–2006: Partnership between Fox and ESPN

In September 2000, Major League Baseball inked a six-year, $2.5 billion contract with Fox for Saturday broadcasts, the All-Star Game, select Division Series contests, and exclusive rights to both League Championship Series and the World Series. During 2001, Fox’s sister network FX also aired numerous Saturday night games.

Under the preceding NBC agreement (1996–2000), Fox contributed $115 million annually compared to NBC’s $80 million per year. Overall, Fox invested approximately $575 million while NBC spent $400 million. Despite its longstanding association with MLB dating back to 1947, NBC withdrew from baseball broadcasting in 2000 due to financial concerns.

Ken Schanzer, president of NBC Sports, explained that they declined MLB’s renewal offer, with chairman Dick Ebersol emphasizing issues related to cost efficiency.

ESPN and ESPN2 maintained contracts through 2005 valued at $141.8 million annually (totaling $851 million), covering selected weeknight and Sunday night games alongside Division Series playoff coverage. Following Disney’s acquisition of Fox Family in 2002 (renamed ABC Family), Division Series games were broadcast there for one season before ESPN centralized Thursday night games and expanded playoff coverage.

In 2002, MLB unveiled its digital out-of-market service Mlb.tv, launching with a Texas Rangers versus New York Yankees game on August 26.

The era of Fox, Fox Sports 1, TBS, and ESPN: 2007–2016

After briefly considering rights for Sunday and Wednesday regular season games post-2005 through OLN, ESPN secured an eight-year contract in September 2005 emphasizing exclusive Sunday Night Baseball appearances. Key components included:

  • Up to 80 regular-season broadcasts annually;
  • No blackout restrictions for exclusive Sunday Night Baseball; Monday Night Baseball typically shared with local broadcasters;
  • Each team making up to five appearances on Sunday Night Baseball;
  • Daily editions of Baseball Tonight featuring live highlights;
  • Rights to MLB events such as the Home Run Derby, All-Star programming, and Wednesday baseball throughout the season on ESPN/ESPN2;
  • New afternoon batting practice shows originating from Monday night broadcast sites;
  • Nightly Baseball Tonight updates integrated into SportsCenter;
  • Selected games and All-Star events aired on ESPN2;
  • Coverage of 10 spring training contests plus MLB Opening Day;
  • Rights spanning ESPN networks including ESPN Deportes and ESPN International;
  • Inclusion of MLB content on emerging platforms like mobile devices;
  • Access to archival footage and Instant Classic rights for ESPN Classic.

Monday and Wednesday games were mostly non-exclusive allowing local telecasts; Wednesday broadcasts were blacked out locally unless no local telecast existed. Sunday telecasts remained exclusive to ESPN.

Financially, this arrangement averaged $296 million per year, increasing from $273.5 million in 2006 to over $306 million in subsequent years.

At the 2006 All-Star Game, MLB and Fox Broadcasting Company extended their partnership through 2013. This extension preserved Fox’s exclusive rights to the World Series and All-Star Game while granting exclusive rights to the American League Championship Series in odd-numbered years beginning in 2007 and the National League Championship Series in even-numbered years starting in 2008. Additionally, Fox expanded its regional Saturday Game of the Week schedule from 18 weeks to all 26 weeks of the season.

Time Warner’s TBS acquired exclusive rights to broadcast the National League Championship Series during odd years starting in 2007 and the American League Championship Series during even years beginning in 2008 under a contract extending through 2013. TBS ceased national broadcasts of Atlanta Braves games after 2007 by rebranding WTBS as Peachtree TV, focusing Braves coverage locally. Starting in 2008, TBS introduced a Sunday afternoon Game of the Week, featuring select matchups with up to thirteen appearances by individual teams. The network also gained exclusive rights for both leagues’ Division Series contests and tiebreakers as well as the All-Star Game Selection Show, which had previously aired on ESPN.

In 2009, MLB launched its dedicated channel, MLB Network, which secured its own slate of game packages primarily airing Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening matchups plus select weekday afternoon games. These broadcasts are subject to local blackout if a regional broadcaster carries the same game.

In August 2012, ESPN and MLB agreed upon an eight-year deal that increased ESPN’s annual payment from roughly $360 million to about $700 million. Starting in 2014, ESPN resumed postseason coverage by televising one of two annual wild-card games—alternating between American League and National League—and obtained rights for all possible regular-season tiebreaker games.

Reports from September 2012 indicated that MLB was close to finalizing separate eight-year television agreements with Fox Sports and Turner Sports extending through the year 2021. Fox was projected to pay approximately $4 billion (about $500 million per year), while Turner was expected to contribute around $2.8 billion (approximately $300 million annually). The coverage largely mirrored the previous contract from 2007–2013; however, Division Series coverage would be split between Fox and TBS instead of being exclusive to TBS. Additionally, some Division Series matchups were sold to MLB Network, while Fox planned to air certain games on its newly launched all-sports channel, Fox Sports 1.

On October 2, 2012, MLB officially announced the new agreement with Fox:

2017–present: The Maturation of Internet Streaming

Beginning with the 2017 season, MLB broadened its internet streaming offerings beyond MLB.tv. Twitter initiated weekly broadcasts of out-of-market Friday matchups, starting with the Chicago Cubs versus Milwaukee Brewers on April 7. Shortly thereafter, Facebook began streaming 20 games simulcast from local rights holders, mostly on Fridays, while Twitter shifted its broadcasts to Tuesdays. In 2018, MLB secured an exclusive weekly game on Facebook alongside continuing its collaboration with Twitter.

On November 15, 2018, Fox extended its MLB broadcasting rights through 2028, preserving its existing coverage format but enhancing digital rights and pledging to air a greater number of games on its broadcast channel. Fox committed to televising at least two League Championship Series contests and any Game 7 from the year 2020 onward, addressing earlier concerns about limited network exposure.

In 2019, MLB scaled back Facebook streaming to six non-exclusive games and launched a YouTube-exclusive package featuring 13 weekly games for the latter half of the season. YouTube’s role expanded to four games during the abbreviated 2020 season and increased further to 21 games in 2021.

The enlarged playoff format in 2020 necessitated a temporary rights agreement: TBS broadcast one Wild Card Series game while ESPN networks covered seven additional games. ABC returned to MLB coverage for the first time since 1995 as part of ESPN’s broadcast slate.

Turner Sports renewed its MLB rights through 2028 in September 2020, shifting its Sunday afternoon game broadcasts to Tuesday nights. ESPN also renewed its contract in May 2021, maintaining Sunday Night Baseball and Wild Card playoff rights but discontinuing non-exclusive weeknight telecasts.

In 2021, NBC’s Peacock streamed a Phillies-Giants series nationally, and ABC aired its first regular-season MLB game since the 1990s via ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

In March 2022, Apple secured exclusive rights to a weekly doubleheader called Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+. Additionally, MLB reached an agreement with NBC to stream Sunday afternoon games on Peacock starting in May, with NBC simulcasting the initial contest—marking the network’s first MLB broadcast since 2000. For the 2022 season, MLB reduced YouTube’s schedule to 15 games; YouTube did not stream any MLB contests in 2023.

The Peacock Sunday Leadoff package continued through 2023 but was not renewed for the following year; The Roku Channel assumed this package beginning in May 2024.

On February 20, 2025, MLB and ESPN mutually agreed to terminate their seven-year contract ending in 2028. ESPN’s final broadcasts during the 2025 season will mark the conclusion of a 36-year partnership with MLB.

Regional broadcasters

Games not covered by national media partners are televised by local stations and regional sports networks, which cater to regional audiences. Some broadcasters are part of larger chains such as NBC Sports Regional Networks and FanDuel Sports Network, while others operate independently. Certain franchises hold partial or majority ownership stakes in their regional broadcasters. Regional broadcasts are subject to blackout restrictions designed to protect local markets, whereas out-of-market games can be accessed through premium services like MLB.tv and MLB Extra Innings for an additional fee.

National regular-season telecasts on ESPN, FS1, TBS, and all MLB Network games are often non-exclusive and may be aired concurrently with local broadcasts. However, these national broadcasts can be blacked out within the participating teams’ markets to safeguard local broadcast rights.

Since the 1984 postseason, all playoff games have been exclusively televised by MLB’s national TV partners, ending previous arrangements where local broadcasters shared coverage.

See also

Sources

References

Related profiles

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