MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will not meet his goal of finalizing the league’s media rights situation for next year by the All-Star Game, but it appears that new deals are on the horizon.
“I was hoping it was going to be done by now, but it’ll be shortly. We made real progress,” Manfred told Mike Mazzeo of Sports Business Journal. The commissioner mentioned that every broadcaster that is “in the mix” for MLB’s available inventory — which includes ESPN’s current package of Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and Wild Card round playoff games — attended last week’s Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. “I had a really busy week last week in Sun Valley,” Manfred told SBJ.
Recent reports indicate that ESPN and MLB have reengaged “early stage” talks that could potentially see the network retain some of its current inventory. Other reports have named NBC as a contender for Sunday Night Baseball, Fox as being interested in the Home Run Derby, and Apple TV as showing interest in expanding its current agreement with MLB.
The league seemingly hasn’t decided whether it will award the available inventory to one or multiple partners. “I think the last piece that needs to fall into place is whether it’s all going one place or it’s going to be split,” Manfred said. “That’s the next big decision.”
By splitting the rights, MLB might be able to recoup a greater percentage of the $550 million that ESPN paid annually. Keeping the package together on one broadcaster, however, might lead to a more straightforward transition when MLB renegotiates its entire suite of national media rights deals come 2028.