Netflix lands Yankees at Giants for 2026 Opening Day

Netflix volition transportation Major League Baseball’s Opening Day crippled adjacent year, streaming the New York Yankees astatine the San Francisco Giants connected March 25 arsenic its archetypal exclusive broadcast nether a caller three-year agreement, according to radical briefed connected the deal. It is the lone crippled scheduled that night; the remainder of the league opens the pursuing day. The streamer volition besides amusement the Home Run Derby and is expected to stock a fistful of special-location regular-season games with NBC/Peacock, specified arsenic “Field of Dreams,” “MLB astatine Rickwood Field,” and the caller “MLB Speedway” showcase. Fox whitethorn inactive clasp immoderate unsocial lawsuit games. MLB declined to comment.

ESPN steps back, NBC/Peacock steps in

The rights shuffle follows ESPN’s determination successful February to opt retired of the last 3 years of a bundle that averaged $550 cardinal annually. MLB past divided that slate among Netflix and NBC/Peacock, portion striking a abstracted three-year statement with ESPN to licence out-of-market games from MLB.TV, 5 in-market squad packages, and 30 exclusive nationalist weekday games. Industry sources expect the caller ESPN rights to full astir $1.65 cardinal crossed the term, mirroring the worth of what ESPN relinquished. Financial presumption for the MLB-Netflix and MLB-NBC/Peacock deals are not finalized publicly, though estimates autumn betwixt $225 cardinal and $250 cardinal per season.

NBC/Peacock volition go the caller location of Sunday Night Baseball and the archetypal circular of the playoffs. Peacock volition besides regenerate Roku for precocious Sunday greeting games and adhd 1 oregon 2 peculiar events. Netflix, which has pursued maturation successful Japan and holds rights to the adjacent World Baseball Classic there, continues to grow its live-sports footprint.

A setup for the 2029 rights sweep

This circular of contracts runs 3 seasons, positioning MLB to contiguous a cleaner rights slate successful 2029. The World Series connected Fox, TNT Sports’ playoff and All-Star packages, and assorted planetary rights volition each beryllium up astatine that time. Commissioner Rob Manfred aims to person section integer rights aligned crossed the league by then, though big-market franchises specified arsenic the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers whitethorn necessitate further concessions.

For Yankees fans, astir games volition stay connected YES Network, with astir 20 section contests connected Amazon Prime Video. National appearances volition proceed crossed Fox, ESPN, TNT Sports, Apple TV+, NBC/Peacock — and now, for Opening Day, Netflix.