ESPN and Major League Baseball have announced a new agreement featuring national rights, local out-of-market rights, and in-market rights.

©ESPN

Per the agreement, ESPN will become the exclusive rights holder of MLB.TV, which means thousands of baseball games will be available each season on the ESPN app and MLB platforms in 2026.

The announcement of the new deal was made by ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. It will be effective from 2026 through 2028.

MLB.TV will stream live and on demand in the ESPN app, along with being available on MLB platforms in 2026. New MLB.TV subscribers will be able to purchase and stream the service through the ESPN app in addition to more than 50,000 other sports events and content from the ESPN family of networks.

©ESPN

ESPN has also acquired exclusive, local in-market streaming rights for MLB Clubs, which currently includes the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies. Games will be available to purchase and stream on MLB platforms in 2026.

Not only that, but ESPN will feature more than 150 out-of-market regular-season games across a special “game of the day” offering for ESPN Unlimited subscribers.

©CNBC

There will also be a new, exclusive package of national regular-season MLB games each year for linear networks and direct-to-consumer offerings. The 30-game schedule will primarily be comprised of weeknight games, specifically in the core summer months. As part of this package, ESPN maintains rights to the MLB Little League Classic presented by New York Life as part of the Little League World Series coverage.

ESPN also added rights to Memorial Day games and second-half opener games.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

“This fan-friendly agreement allows us to showcase the great sport of baseball on both a local and national level, while prioritizing our streaming future. MLB.TV is a coveted, must-have companion for passionate MLB fans all over the country, and it will be strongly complemented by our national game package and in-market team rights – all within the ESPN App,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN.

©Disney

Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. also commented and said, “This new agreement with ESPN marks a significant evolution in our more than 30-year relationship. Bringing MLB.TV to ESPN’s new app while maintaining a presence on linear television reflects a balanced approach to the shifts taking place in the way that fans watch baseball and gives MLB a meaningful presence on an important destination for fans of all sports.”

The NEW baseball brownie

There are also some additional benefits of the new deal:

• Fans with an MLB.TV subscription also have access to MLB Network and its 24/7 programming;
• ESPN’s MLB studio rights for Baseball Tonight will continue;
• Existing audio package continues as ESPN Radio remains the national audio home of the World Series, the full MLB Postseason, the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, weekly Saturday games and Sunday Night Baseball;
• ESPN retains Spanish-language rights for its new, linear games package;
• Rights for SportsCenter and additional ESPN studio show presence at signature MLB events, including the World Series;
• Throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, the Netherlands, and China (via its hotel channels), ESPN continues to serve fans with a robust game package featuring daily regular season games including Sunday Night Baseball, MLB All-Star Game, and culminating with the MLB Postseason and World Series.

Could baseball come to Disney World?

It sounds like this is the beginning of a great partnership between ESPN and Major League Baseball! We’ll be on the lookout for more updates about this new deal. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest ESPN and Disney news.

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What do you think of this new deal? Let us know in the comments.