Apple, ESPN, NBC Compete for MLB Sunday Night Baseball Rights

Major League Baseball is currently negotiating new national media rights for its flagship "Sunday Night Baseball" package after ESPN opted out of its $550 million per year deal. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that NBC, Apple, and ESPN are the three bidders, with a decision expected within a month, and the rights potentially split between multiple broadcasters or streamers. Apple, which already holds "Friday Night Baseball" rights on Apple TV+, could significantly expand its MLB presence, while NBC might revive its historic connection with the league. ESPN’s return to the bidding is notable given its earlier decision to leave the package, driven by profitability concerns and shifting priorities toward NFL and NBA rights, though it may seek local team rights in a revamped deal to support its upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service. Despite a slight dip in All-Star Game viewership, MLB’s regular-season broadcasts have seen modest audience growth on ESPN and Fox, but total national TV advertising revenues for MLB are down 5% year over year. Fox remains the largest TV advertiser for MLB, while the evolving media landscape sees streaming platforms focusing on marquee events that drive subscriptions rather than large volumes of regular-season games.