Major League Baseball (MLB) is entering a new era of broadcasting, with several high-profile shifts in its media rights deals, according to reports. While these changes may excite some fans, there’s one feature I’m genuinely going to miss: Apple TV Plus’s audio option that let you listen to your local radio broadcast while streaming games. It may seem small, but for me, it was the perfect and every streaming service should offer something similar.

🚨 SCOOP: MLB rights deals are “close to being done,” per sources.

What I’m hearing:

– Apple is fully out. RIP Friday Night Baseball

– NBC/Peacock is in, for Friday and Sunday exclusive and Wild Card

– MLB TV being sold to ESPN (for a boatload of $$$)

– Netflix gets HR Derby

— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) August 19, 2025

Anyway, here’s a breakdown of the changes to MLB’s media rights deal.

Rotten Apple!

Apple’s Friday Night Baseball streaming deal is ending. Most fans will cheer this, happy to see Apple step away from the crowded sports streaming market. But personally, I’m disappointed. Their local radio audio feature was brilliant—it allowed you to listen to Franzke and Andersen or Kevin Stocker with the simple change of a setting. It’s the one thing the tech giant did right!

I’ll say it every time, Apple TV option of watching the telecast (stream?) while listening to the local radio broadcast is genius.

It should be a standard option on all streamed games. #MLB #Phillies #RingTheBell

— Mike Lipinski | @SportsTalkPHL (@themikelipinski) May 4, 2024

NBC is Back in the Baseball Game

NBC and Peacock will now carry Friday and Sunday exclusives, as well as Wild Card games. This move expands NBC’s sports presence and gives Peacock a bigger spotlight for live events. It’s a shift toward bigger national coverage for Comcast’s NBCUniversal’s streaming brand. For those of a certain age, NBC WAS Major League Baseball airing the Game of the Week from 1957-1989. NBC stepped out of the MLB game in 2000 with the exception of a handful of Peacock exclusive games from 2021-2023.

ESPN to Acquire MLB.tv

ESPN will now take over MLB’s out-of-market streaming service, MLB.TV, giving fans a single destination for games outside their local market. This move fits into ESPN’s larger strategy of expanding its live sports portfolio for their new exclusive streaming service—they recently acquired NFL Network rights and WWE’s premium live events, which further strengthens their position as the “worldwide leader.”

 

Homerun Derby to Netflix

In an unusual but intriguing move, Netflix is set to broadcast the Home Run Derby. This isn’t Netflix’s first foray into live sports—they’ve previously acquired WWE Monday Night Raw and have served as an outlet for other sporting events like boxing in recent years. By venturing into baseball, Netflix is signaling that streaming platforms can be more than just on-demand entertainment—they can host live sports events and create a global audience for marquee moments.

 

Everyone’s Got a Price!

MLB’s new media rights deals make one thing clear: fans who want to follow every game are going to need multiple streaming subscriptions. Between NBC/Peacock, ESPN, and Netflix, there’s no single home for the full season. Casual viewers may be fine, but the diehard fans who want every pitch, every home run, and every marquee matchup will feel the pinch.

And don’t expect Commissioner Rob Manfred to fix the problem by lifting blackout restrictions—he won’t. Like much of modern sports, MLB is leaning into fragmentation, forcing a segment of the fan base to chase their team across multiple platforms. The deal is expected to be finalized in the next two weeks, so fans will soon have a clearer picture of how to navigate MLB’s streaming future.