MLB Broadcast Rights Shakeup: Netflix Gets WWE, Apple TV+ Scores Exclusive Games

Netflix signed an international broadcast deal with the WWE, securing exclusive rights to the company's content. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ acquired broadcasting rights for two MLB games. Major League Baseball is set to return to Apple TV later this season.

Major League Baseball has finalized new three-year media rights agreements for 2026-2028 with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and NFLX, reshaping how fans will watch America's pastime. The deals are collectively worth roughly $800 million per year — $550 million from ESPN, $200 million from NBC, and $50 million from Netflix — marking a significant shift in baseball's broadcast landscape. Meanwhile, AAPL's Apple TV+ continues its Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders.

The most notable change is NBC's return to regularly airing MLB games on broadcast television for the first time in 26 years. Sunday Night Baseball moves from ESPN to NBC after two decades, and NBC also secures the entire Wild Card round exclusively on Peacock, plus special Opening Day and Labor Day primetime games. Netflix, meanwhile, picks up the Home Run Derby, Opening Night, and the Field of Dreams game — expanding its live sports portfolio alongside its existing $5 billion, 10-year WWE deal.

The three-year structure is notably shorter than MLB's previous long-term arrangements, giving the league flexibility to renegotiate as the streaming landscape evolves. For investors, the deal underscores the escalating value of live sports content — Netflix and Apple are now firmly established as sports broadcasters competing alongside traditional networks, a trend that could continue driving content acquisition costs across the streaming industry.