What’s In Netflix’s MLB Deal? And Why Did Netflix Want It?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Buy Me a Coffee!

TV Answer Man, Netflix just did a big deal with baseball. I don’t understand why Netflix would care about having baseball games. Can you explain this to us? – Bob, Cleveland.

Bob, Major League Baseball yesterday announced new three-year TV deals with ESPN, NBC/Peacock and, yes, Netflix, the streaming service perhaps better known for its large lineup of comedy and drama TV shows.

What’s In Netflix’s MLB Deal?
The agreement will allow Netflix to offer an exclusive Opening Night MLB game in each season from 2026 to 2028; the Home Run Derby competition show the night before the All-Star Game in those three years; and a single ‘special event’ game each year starting with the 2026 ‘Field of Dreams’ game played at the Iowa grounds where the same-name movie starring Kevin Costner was filmed.

The 2026 Opening Night game on March 25 will pit the New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, conveniently just 60 miles from Netflix’s headquarters in Los Gatos, California.

Why Netflix Wanted Live Baseball
What’s in common with the three elements of the Netflix/MLB deal is that they are special events rather than a multi-game package carried by networks such as ESPN and Fox. This enables Netflix to provide some live sports without paying the enormous sum required to acquire a large selection of games. This has been the Netflix strategy with live sports, buying the rights to single-day tennis tournaments and boxing matches.

Bob, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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