MLB Could Broadcast Games On…Roku?

Major League Baseball has dealt with some significant media rights challenges over the past few years, particularly with the Diamond Sports bankruptcy in 2023.

That led to the league taking over broadcasts for several teams, including the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. Nationally, Commissioner Rob Manfred has also announced the league's intention to create its own streaming service that would be blackout-free.

READ: MLB Could Soon Be Launching Its Own Blackout-Free Streaming Package

But as the sports media rights industry continues to change, with big payouts increasingly hard to come by, the league is now facing yet another challenge: replacing Peacock as the carrier for a package of Sunday morning games. 

For the past two seasons, Peacock has had the rights to broadcast MLB games on Sunday starting at 11am Eastern. But their contract recently expired, and the league has yet to find a suitable replacement. A new report on Tuesday, however, says the league may have a new favorite to purchase the rights to those games. And it's…Roku?

"Some baseball media news: Roku has emerged as a suitor for the Sunday morning streaming package of games known as ‘Sunday Leadoff,' according to an X post by Joe Flint. "NBCU's Peacock had the package for the last two seasons but its deal expired and as yet there is no new home for the small package of games."

Roku?

HOUSTON - MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Roku Interest An Ominous Sign For The League

Streaming services have long used sports rights as a way to launch or promote its other offerings. Apple TV+, for example, purchased a Friday night package of MLB games, as well as MLS rights. 

But Roku has such a limited reach compared to Apple or say, Amazon, that it's hard to see where the upside is for the league. 

Having more nationally televised games is a good thing, but having games being even harder to find, on ever more obscure sources, won't help. Peacock already led to fan frustration, but Roku presents an even tougher challenge. Most other streaming devices don't have Roku TV, and while it's one of the most popular physical devices, it's hard to see fans rushing out to buy an entirely new product just to watch Sunday morning games.  

It's to be determined if Roku does wind up being the winner, but MLB better hope there are other alternatives, or it could risk alienating even more viewers. Streaming services were supposed to provide some simplicity and clarity in watching live sports. All too often, it's the exact opposite.