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Apple said to be ‘fully out’ of MLB rights deals; RIP Friday Night Baseball

MacDailyNews

Aug 20

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Major League Baseball’s broadcasting landscape is facing significant upheaval as Apple and Netflix find themselves at the center of a complex battle for streaming rights. With traditional broadcasters like ESPN and emerging players like Amazon also in the mix, the competition to secure MLB’s lucrative media deals is intensifying. As negotiations loom, the decisions made could reshape how fans access games for years to come.

kendall Baker via X:
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SCOOP: MLB rights deals are “close to being done,” per sources.
What I’m hearing:
– Apple is fully out. RIP Friday Night Baseball
– NBC/Peacock is in, for Friday and Sunday exclusive and Wild Card
– MLB TV being sold to ESPN (for a boatload of $$$)
– Netflix gets HR Derby

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Matt Ehalt for The New York Post:
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Apple TV+ potentially could soon end its union with MLB and Netflix is set to acquire the Home Run Derby, among a myriad of changes… Netflix acquiring the summer extravaganza and MLB TV being sold to ESPN for a large payment are reportedly “all but certain.”
The Apple portion is the current buzz, per Yahoo, but the report cautions the parties’ deal lasts through 2028 and things could always change.
Apple leaving would remove its “Friday Night Baseball” package and NBC and Peacock could swoop in to have Friday and Sunday exclusive games, plus wild-card playoff contests, according to the report…
Apple and MLB signed a seven-year deal worth roughly $85 million before the 2022 season, per Front Office Sports, meaning there would need to be some negotiating to end the pact early.

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MacDailyNews Take: Baseball is a regional game. Most fans just root for their one team and only care about their team’s games. “Friday Night Baseball” gives baseball fans who are Apple TV+ subscribers maybe one or two games to watch each season. That’s not much of a draw. If MLB were a significant contributor to Apple TV+ subscriptions, Apple would re-up with the MLB, not walk away.

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