50 Million Dollars Annually for Three Years
ESPN and NBC Maintain Existing Contracts
Netflix has entered the Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcasting market. On November 20 (Korean time), the MLB office announced that it had signed new broadcasting rights agreements in the United States with Netflix, ESPN, and NBC.
Over the next three years, Netflix will pay an average of 50 million dollars per year to broadcast select games and major events. This includes the 2026 season opener between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees, the All-Star Game Home Run Derby, and the "Field of Dreams" game.
Netflix, which has been expanding its investments in sports, also secured the broadcasting rights in Japan for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in August. Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, told MLB.com, "We aim to establish ourselves as a platform where people can enjoy sports."
MLB sells broadcasting rights separately by team, region, and event. Existing broadcasters ESPN and NBC will maintain their rights by paying 550 million dollars and 200 million dollars per year, respectively.
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