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Apple TV+ Reportedly Outbidding NBC for More MLB Games

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Apple TV+ is emerging as the frontrunner to acquire additional MLB media rights currently held by ESPN, according to a Sports Business Journal report.

Apple TV Plus Friday Night Baseball 2025
Sources tell the publication that Apple's offer would likely exceed what NBC has proposed for the same package, particularly if focused on Sunday night games. NBC reportedly bid for all of ESPN's current MLB rights, but the league faces a familiar streaming dilemma: fewer dollars from traditional broadcasters with broader reach versus higher payments from digital platforms with smaller audiences.

Apple already pays MLB a reported $85 million annually for "Friday Night Baseball" through to 2028. The potential deal would be structured as a three-year agreement, positioning MLB to bundle all national rights when current contracts with Fox Sports and TNT Sports expire in 2028.

The streaming service currently includes Friday night games at no additional cost with Apple TV+ subscriptions, which cost $9.99 monthly or $99 yearly in the U.S. It's also included in all Apple One subscription bundles with other Apple services.

MLB has yet to finalize the structure of post-ESPN packages, leaving multiple scenarios on the table for Sunday night games, Wild Card coverage, and the Home Run Derby. The talks sound like they remain fluid, with various moving parts still under consideration.

Tag: Apple TV Plus Guide

Top Rated Comments

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besler3035
11 months ago

Awesome! Between this, MLS, and shows like The Studio, Apple TV+ is the leader in dull content that I couldn’t care less about.
Consider yourself in the minority. The Studio is great. And to add to that, shows like Your Friends & Neighbors, Ted Lasso, Severance, and Shrinking show why Apple TV+ is a great place for quality, high production shows. They've been compared to the HBO of old. And for good reason.

Now am I a baseball fan? Not really. But every streamer is looking to get more into sports these days, so this makes sense. And it brings in advertising dollars.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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Green Valkyrie
11 months ago
Well each to their own. For this European, baseball is the one US sport I actually like. And I like it a lot - it's what short form cricket has tried (and failed) multiple times to be.

Oh and the Mets rule :cool:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IJ Reilly Avatar
IJ Reilly
11 months ago
Unmentioned here is the key fact that the teams sell their local broadcast rights, usually to a cable provider. You need to subscribe to a cable package to watch your home team's games in-market. Now, more of these games are being resold to national broadcasters and streamers. This means you have to ante up again, or you will miss the games you already paid to be able to watch. This past weekend, for example, the Dodgers were on Apple, ESPN, and Fox. None were broadcast on the Dodgers network, SportsNetLA. It's a mess, and it only gets worse every year.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
syklee26
11 months ago
If Apple implements vision pro friendly broadcasting, it will open a huge door.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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Princejb134
11 months ago
Baseball stadiums to me is not about the game but more of the experience of the stadium. They have so many things to do and places to hang out there.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Plutonius Avatar
Plutonius
11 months ago
TV is so fragmented these days that I stopped watching many things that I enjoyed in the past.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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