© Allan Henry-Imagn Images
PHOENIX – Major League Baseball’s reported new TV deal with ESPN will give in-market distribution for six MLB clubs, including the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Fans gather outside Chase Field for the Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs in Phoenix on March 27, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This deal marks more than a broadcast flip; it details how the league is rethinking its media strategy. According to industry reports, ESPN is poised to take over local rights and will broadcast them via its direct-to-consumer ESPN streaming services. ESPN will now have in-market rights for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners.
Fans gather outside Chase Field for the Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs in Phoenix on March 27, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
For Arizona fans, the implications are getting real. D-Backs.TV was recently launched early back in February 2024, offering local coverage via cable providers and a standalone stream. Now, with ESPN in the mix, local viewers may face new subscription costs or packaging changes. Reports suggest the deal could drive up expenses for hometown lifelong fans who now have to pay for another subscription.
MLB has formed new three-year media rights agreements with Netflix, NBCUniversal, and ESPN.
The agreements, which cover rights for the 2026-2028 MLB seasons, mark the return of NBC to regularly airing MLB games on its broadcast network for the first time in 26 years, will expand… pic.twitter.com/uqMXYpbQFP
— MLB (@MLB) November 19, 2025
Strategically, the move is significant as ESPN is re-investing in localized content just as it walks away from its larger national Sunday Night Baseball deal. The network appears to be betting that owning local markets can pay long-term dividends, especially as cord-cutting continues and streaming becomes more central to viewer habits. That shift speaks to deeper league-wide trends with centralizing media rights, increasing digital access, and reimagining regional broadcasting.
Arizona Diamondbacks fans cheer from the stands as they play against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field in Phoenix on May 18, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
