Major League Baseball’s media rights deals are poised for a transformative shift in the coming years. According to a report by The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, the league is contemplating a significant change in how it markets its media packages by bundling domestic and international broadcast rights to engage tech giants like Apple or Amazon, which focus on promoting MLB in a global context rather than just the U.S. market.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred stated, “The explosion in popularity in Korea and Japan is going to create an opportunity to fundamentally change the way we sell our media rights. We’ve traditionally sold them in (individual) countries, and I think in 2028 they will be sold as part of an international package that will help us drive our media revenue in general.” This aligns with the expiration of both the league’s domestic media rights deals with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and its international contracts in 2028, creating a unique chance to market both packages simultaneously. While traditional media companies like Fox might not fully leverage these global rights, it would be beneficial for international firms such as Amazon, Google, Apple, or Netflix, which have a worldwide customer base.
“Particularly in a digital space, we’re going to sell the rights where we get the best deal,” Manfred emphasized. The appetite for global deals is evident, as seen in Apple’s MLS deal, which enables the sale of MLS Season Pass subscriptions globally, or Netflix’s agreement with WWE’s Monday Night Raw, which allows the streaming of live events worldwide. This broad reach is appealing for leagues as well.
MLB’s national media rights landscape is changing, highlighted by ESPN’s decision to opt out of its $550 million annual agreement, forcing the league to seek new short-term partners for its key packages, including regular season games, the Home Run Derby, and Wild Card round games. The local media rights market is also facing challenges, as regional sports networks decline, impacting local rights revenue for franchises. To address this, Manfred has proposed bundling local rights of several clubs for sale to a streamer in 2028, potentially enhancing a comprehensive domestic-international package.
This strategy could provide a broadcasting partner the opportunity to maximize revenue from local, domestic, and international sources associated with MLB. As such, Manfred is evaluating all available options, recognizing that by 2028, one of baseball’s key strengths might be its appeal in international markets.
