NBC bidding on the MLB rights ESPN dropped: Report

NBCUniversal is reportedly eying the MLB game rights that ESPN dropped earlier in 2025.

The Wall Street Journal, citing multiple unnamed sources, was first to report the news, adding that the offer is reportedly much less than what ESPN had been shelling out.

Back in February 2025, ESPN said it would exercise a clause in its deal with MLB that allowed it to opt out of the last three years of the agreement after the end of the 2025 season.

ESPN, which is part of Disney, was paying $550 million a year for the rights.

WSJ sources did not indicate what NBCU’s offer was, but it is reportedly “significantly” less than ESPN’s figure. At least part of that reduction is likely because NBC is not seeking international and radio rights to the games as Disney’s agreement included. NBCU appears to have also passed on highlight clips rights, according to WSJ sources.

Should NBC emerge victorious, the network would start airing Sunday night games from the league. This, paired with the network’s existing NFL deal and upcoming return of NBA games, could round out NBC’s investment in live sports.

With all of these moves, NBC’s schedule is already headed for some significant makeovers in order to make room for more sports during its primetime and weekend schedules. Already, the network canceled five shows, effective at the end of this TV season, in order, at least in part, to accommodate its commitments to sports. Since the network is beefing up its focus on live sports matches, this means there is a natural corresponding decrease in the need for the scripted and unscripted series that had become primetime mainstays.

At least part of this drive to focus on sports is likely driven by the shifting landscape of how consumers watch TV. Live sports can still be a strong spot on both linear and streaming thanks to its ability to attract real-time viewing and engage with loyal audiences. The ability to split rights between linear and streaming is also appealing to networks eager to capitalize on multiple touchpoints and revenue.

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Even with sports rights still commanding upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars, they can still make more economic sense given that deals of this size typically include at least 100 games that typically span at least two hours on TV. Even after paying for production costs, host salaries and other expenses, the per-hour cost of sports vs. traditional shows can still be appealing.

ESPN reportedly offered the MLB around $200 million per year for the remaining three years, but MLB ultimately passed. 

For its part, the MLB has also been rethinking its media deals and may consolidate them after the 2028 season after its current slate of contracts expire. This model would involve teams letting MLB sell local rights to their games as part of a streaming offering. In exchange, teams would receive a revenue share. Such a streaming package would also likely include a component to allow subscribers to pay to remove blackouts on a per-team basis, according to the WSJ.

In addition to linear rights, NBC is also interested in streaming rights for Peacock and may also seek the first round of postseason games and the Home Run Derby.