NBC has confirmed its interest in acquiring a portion of the Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcast rights that ESPN will relinquish at the end of the 2025 season. ESPN has decided to opt out of its $550 million-a-year contract with MLB three years early, citing a lack of sufficient value from the agreement.
NBC’s interest marks a potential return to regular MLB broadcasts on its flagship network, which last aired MLB games in 2001 when Fox outbid NBC with a pre-emptive offer. Since then, NBC has only streamed MLB content through its ‘Sunday Lead-Off’ package on Peacock.
Jon Miller, President of NBC Sports, spoke at the SportsPro New York event, confirming the broadcaster’s keen interest in reclaiming MLB rights, said, “MLB is an unbelievably great property, and baseball is a great sport. They’ve got some really strong leadership and they’ve made some changes to make the game even more compelling and exciting.”
Miller acknowledged NBC’s long-standing desire to return to MLB broadcasting, said, “I’m a baseball junkie, so I’ve watched their path for a long time. We lost MLB in 1990 and got it back five years later. We lost it again in 2001 when Fox came in and made a pre-emptive bid. So, we’ve had our nose pressed against the glass for a long time.”
NBC isn’t the only player eyeing MLB’s available rights. Fox, Amazon, and Netflix are also reportedly exploring bids for the package, which includes:
- 30 regular season games (Sunday Night Baseball)
- Wild Card postseason round
- Opening night
- Home Run Derby
Miller believes that MLB remains a valuable media property due to its adaptability and its ability to produce engaging narratives, said, “A lot of [broadcasters] are kicking the tires on MLB opportunities. We are as well, it’s no secret, but everyone else is doing the same. I think [MLB] is a property that knows how to adapt, how to take advantage of where they are. They have so many terrific athletes, so many compelling stories, great ownership and great markets.” And added, “This is the third time the IOC has extended their deal [with NBC] inside the window, and what that says to us is they have trust in us on the way we treat the Olympics and how important the Olympics are to us.”
Miller also touched on NBC’s recent success in renewing its long-standing partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). NBC has secured exclusive rights to broadcast every Summer and Winter Olympics through 2032 under a $7.6 billion contract.
NBC has aired every Summer Olympics since 1988 and every Winter Olympics since 2002. The new deal ensures NBC’s coverage of a home Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (2034) and the yet-to-be-awarded Summer Games in 2036.
The renewal deal, signed directly by NBC’s parent company Comcast, reflects the strategic partnership between Comcast and the IOC. Comcast’s infrastructure will support the delivery of future Olympics and assist Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) with in-venue distribution and the development of the Olympic Video Player.
NBC’s close relationship with the IOC helped secure the deal without a competitive bidding process. Miller highlighted the significance of this trust, said, “While [the IOC] could go to market and probably create a bidding war, I think their comfort level with [NBC’s team] is a real credit to everything that NBC has brought to the Olympic movement.”
NBC’s potential acquisition of MLB rights, and its long-term Olympic commitment, signals the broadcaster’s strategy to strengthen its sports portfolio and solidify its position as a leading destination for major sporting events.