According to a report from Sports Business Journal, Apple TV+ is emergiing as a frontunner to acquire addtional MLB media rights that is currently held by ESPN.
Apple appears positioned to outbid NBC for Major League Baseball rights, particularly for Sunday night games, according to industry sources. This development comes amid MLB’s strategic evaluation of competing offers: traditional broadcasters like NBC provide wider audience reach but lower payments, while digital platforms like Apple offer higher revenue despite smaller domestic viewership.
Any agreement would likely follow a three-year structure, strategically aligning with the 2028 expiration of MLB’s national rights deals with Fox Sports and TNT Sports. This timing would enable the league to potentially consolidate all national rights—and possibly a national “local” package—during the next cycle.
Notably, Apple currently holds MLB’s Friday night games through 2028 at an annual $85 million fee. Final decisions remain pending on package configurations for Sunday nights, Wild Card games, and the Home Run Derby following ESPN’s exit, with multiple structures still under consideration as negotiations evolve.
