Since it was announced that ESPN and Major League Baseball were mutually opting out of their television rights, it’s been a guessing game for who might pick them up next season.
Many of the guesses have included NBCUniversal, and it appears they were on point.
According to The Wall Street Journal’s Jared Diamond and Joe Flint, NBCUniversal has made an offer to take over the same package of regular-season and postseason games that ESPN is leaving behind, though at a discounted rate from what they were paying. The offer was reportedly made in early May, but the WSJ notes that MLB and NBC had been in talks for several weeks beforehand.
“League commissioner Rob Manfred has also discussed a potential deal with Brian Roberts, chief executive of NBC parent Comcast, people familiar with the matter said,” per Diamond and Flint.
The offer includes Sunday Night Baseball, a staple of ESPN’s lineup since 1990. The WSJ said MLB games would also appear on the Peacock streaming service. NBC is also said to be interested in ESPN’s rights to the Home Run Derby and the first round of the MLB postseason.
According to the report, NBC’s offer was lower than what ESPN currently pays because it would not be seeking international and radio rights or the rights to highlight clips.
In February, ESPN exercised an opt-out clause for the final three years of its $550 million/year deal with MLB, presumptively ending the two sides’ 35-year partnership. While it was entirely possible that ESPN could reevaluate for a new deal, it sounds like their relationship is frosty. The Worldwide Leader reportedly wanted to cut its annual rights payment from $550 million to $200 million.
It was reported at the time that Netflix, Amazon, and NBC would be potential suitors for MLB rights, and NBC Sports president Jon Miller confirmed interest in March.
If NBC were to get MLB broadcasting rights, it would put NBCUniversal in the driver’s seat for Sunday sports coverage throughout the year. They already have the rights to NFL Sunday Night Football and will begin broadcasting NBA games again next season, including an eight-game Sunday Night Basketball package. Adding Sunday Night Baseball and other games to NBC and Peacock, would ensure they have a major sporting event happening on just about every Sunday of the year.
The WSJ also noted that Versant, the spin-off company of NBCUniversal cable channels, is also interested in acquiring a baseball package but is not currently in talks with MLB.