Ordering MLB TV Now Requires Getting an ESPN Unlimited Sub, Too

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

Major League Baseball now requires new subscribers to the $149.99 MLB TV to get a subscription to ESPN’s $29.99 a month Unlimited app, the new home of baseball’s out-of-market streaming plan.

The good news is that the MLB TV subscription for new subscribers comes with a one-month free trial to the ESPN Unlimted app. Plus, you can cancel the ESPN subscription anytime and still maintain the MLB TV subscription.

Still, the requirement that you must sign up for the ESPN app to get MLB TV will likely irk fans, particularly the many consumers who often forget to cancel subscriptions after ordering free trials.

If you cancel ESPN after getting MLB TV, you will still be able to watch the baseball plan at the MLB web site. If you keep ESPN, you can watch either via the ESPN app or the league’s app.

The ESPN subscription is not required for consumers who sign up for in-market plans for individual teams, such as the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins and roughly 10 others.

The ESPN tie-in comes after the league signed an extensive TV rights deal with the sports network last November which includes the MLB TV carriage. Plans to include in-market games for several teams on the ESPN app in 2026 appear to be delayed until next year.

MLB says the 2026 MLB TV price for new subscribers is $149.99 but existing customers can now get the plan for just $134.99. The monthly plan is $29.99.

MLB TV’s out-of-market plan, which also includes a live feed of the MLB Network, requires blackouts of games of teams designated as being in your local market.

Supported devices to watch MLB TV on the ESPN app include the Web, iOS, tvOS, Android Mobile, Android TV, FireTV, Fire Tablet (playback only), Samsung, LG, Vizio(10), ROKU (playback only) XBOX, PlayStation, XUMO, and Cox.

Last Note: T-Mobile, the wireless service that has offered free MLB TV for the last several years, has not made any announcements regarding the plan for the 2026 season. However, MLB TV explains on its FAQ page how to activate your T-Mobile account with MLB for 2026, a good sign that the partnership will continue this season. Update: Forbes confirms the T-Mobile freebie will continue in 2026.

To learn more about MLB TV and ESPN, click the league’s FAQ page here.

Update: MLB has removed the FAQ page.

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