New MLB TV Rights Could Cost Streamers Over $100 A Month Next Season
That’s $103.94 per month—just to stream baseball.
Last week, OutKick calculated that it would cost consumers $671.64 to stream every NFL game from the start of the 2025 season to the Super Bowl — about $111.94 per month for six streaming services carrying NFL games this season.
And while that number may cause baseball fans to chuckle, streaming won't be much cheaper for them.
According to the New York Times, Apple and NBC are the frontrunners for Sunday Night Baseball and first-round playoff games, Netflix is a frontrunner for the Home Run Derby, and ESPN is looking at rights for weekday games.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 27: A view of an Apple TV microphone during the ninth inning between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
In the event that all comes to fruition, starting next season, streamers will need the following services to have access to all nationally televised baseball games:
- Peacock (NBC games): $10.99/mo
- Fox One: $19.99/mo
- Netflix: $22.99/mo
- ESPN DTC: $29.99/mo
- HBO Max (TBS games): $9.99/mo
- Apple TV+ (Friday night games and possibly Sunday night games): $9.99
That’s $103.94 per month—just to stream baseball.
Note: While baseball fans don't need to subscribe to Netflix for the full MLB season, most streamers already pay for Netflix in addition to other streaming services. The same is true for the NFL, which Netflix only carries on Christmas Day.
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred opens the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred should consider these prices when negotiating current and future broadcast rights. MLB is not the NFL. Nationally, MLB is not even as popular as the NBA. Put simply, MLB risks pricing fans out by distributing games so broadly.
Americans cut the cord, if you will, to save money. However, streaming is now arguably more expensive for sports fans than cable. If nothing else, cable and satellite package channels like ESPN, TBS, Fox and NBC together.
Moreover, leagues like MLB risk diminishing their value to media partners by fragmenting their broadcast windows between multiple services.
Broadcast corporations don't just pay for TV ratings anymore--they're also banking on sports leagues driving subscribers to their streaming platforms. But how many people will sign up for Apple or ESPN DTC to watch one game a week, when that game is just part of a season split among several outlets?
We suspect not many.