Netflix is taking another step into live sports, and this time it is all about baseball.
Major League Baseball has signed a new three-season media rights deal that brings live MLB games to Netflix alongside fresh agreements with ESPN and NBCUniversal.
The arrangement is reportedly worth around $50 million per year for Netflix and adds yet another sport to its growing lineup of live events.
Netflix’s package is focused on big tent moments rather than a full season schedule. Each year, it will stream a single game on Opening Night, the Home Run Derby, and one special event matchup.
In 2026, that special game will be the Field of Dreams clash in Dyersville, Iowa, on August 13 between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies. It is very much in line with how Netflix has approached other sports so far, picking showcase events that play well to a broad audience.
The overall deal reshapes rights that previously sat with ESPN alone. Now, MLB is spreading those games across multiple partners, with NBC taking over Sunday Night Baseball, along with draft coverage and other matchups for its networks. Some Sunday night games will appear on Peacock and simulcast on NBCSN when they overlap with existing rights. And Peacock will also carry the Sunday Leadoff games that start around noon and are now simulcast on the relaunched NBC Sports Network.
ESPN is not stepping away from baseball, but its role is changing. Under the new agreement, it has a 30-game broadcast package each season that is exclusive to its TV channels and the ESPN app. On top of that, ESPN will stream 150 out-of-market games each year in the ESPN app, one per day, and gain the ability to sell MLB Network and some in-market games inside that same app.
For viewers, the result is a more fragmented but also more flexible mix of options. Big showcase nights will pop up on Netflix, traditional primetime and Sunday coverage shift toward NBC and Peacock, and ESPN leans into a blend of exclusive games and streaming bundles.
If you follow baseball closely, you will probably need to juggle a few apps, but Netflix subscribers at least will get a taste of live MLB action without adding yet another sports service on top.
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