MLB Reportedly Set To Make Ton Of Bad Business Deals With Television Rights

As much as I love Major League Baseball, this is a bit heartbreaking.

Following weeks of chatter and anxiety, the league is reportedly set to finalize a number of new television rights deals as a result of ESPN backing out of their contract that will be effective after the campaign.

Major League Baseball is “close to being done” with their new TV rights deals, sources told Yahoo Sports’ Kendall Baker. These agreements are anticipated to last until 2028. Then, the contracts that MLB has with TNT Sports and Fox will come to an end. (RELATED: Mariners’ Victor Robles Suspended 10 Games After Slinging Bat At Pitcher)

Apple is nixing their “Friday Night Baseball” contract and getting out of baseball altogether, while NBC and Peacock are swooping in to pick up both Friday games and “Sunday Night Baseball,” according to Baker’s report. They will also be landing Wild Card games after ESPN dropped them.

With that being said, it seems ESPN isn’t burning all connections to baseball. In fact, the four-letter network is buying MLB TV, the league’s streaming service where you can watch out-of-market games, per Baker.

Baker is also reporting that Netflix is grabbing the Home Run Derby, an event previously held by ESPN.

🚨 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

My beloved MLB TV being sold to Disney, you’re gonna have to pay to watch the Home Run Derby, no more “Friday Night Baseball” …

What the hell is going on with the game that I love?