Apple Bids for MLB's Sunday Night Baseball Rights

Apple is officially in the running for Major League Baseball's "Sunday Night Baseball" package, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred revealed in an interview with CNBC. NBC and a resurgent ESPN are the other two contenders for the national media rights. A decision is expected within the month, with the possibility that the package could be split between two bidders.

The renewed talks come as a surprise, given ESPN opted out of the final three years of its $550 million-per-year deal earlier this year. At the time, Manfred told team owners he didn't think it was "beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform," according to The Athletic.

A key new element in the negotiations is the inclusion of local media rights for five teams whose games are currently produced and distributed by MLB: the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres.


ESPN, which is preparing to launch a "direct-to-consumer" streaming service, would likely want those local rights to bolster its upcoming platform, potentially enabling a deal that meets MLB's financial expectations.

For Apple, securing a Sunday night package would significantly expand its sports footprint beyond the "Friday Night Baseball" games it already streams on Apple TV+. The company has been increasingly aggressive in live sports, recently emerging as a leading bidder for U.S. Formula 1 rights.

The deal is expected to be a short-term agreement covering the 2026-2028 seasons. Manfred said the league's bigger goal is to consolidate all of its rights after 2028 to create more valuable packages for media partners, and a "more fan-friendly environment." The commissioner also suggested that by centralizing media revenue, the league could overhaul its current revenue-sharing system, which he said acts like a "48% marginal tax rate" on local revenue for some high-earning teams, potentially incentivizing them to agree to the new structure.

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