It’s a huge leap for Major League Baseball … right into th strong arms of Netflix.
The streaming company is flexing its muscles in new ways once more, as the platform announced it has landed its first exclusive MLB stream for the Yankees’ Opening Day. It’s a clear sign that the company is forging ahead in content innovation and not just supplying binge-worthy shows.
Together with NBC/Peacock, the two streaming platforms are key players in a restructured broadcasting landscape, securing significant portions of MLB’s media rights for the next three years, per The Athletic.
These agreements cement a bold move to diversify MLB’s broadcasting partners and maximize revenue following ESPN’s partial opt-out from its previous deal.
The primetime Opening Day matchup exclusively on Netflix seems to be the highlight of the new arrangements, which is the only game scheduled for the day, with the rest of the league’s clubs starting the season the following day.
Netflix has also inked the Home Run Derby, which is a fan-favorite event that’s expected to share a handful of special location regular-season games with NBC/Peacock. This includes high profile events such as the “Field of Dreams” game, “MLB at Rickwood Field,” and the recently debuted “MLB Speedway” game. The game was previously broadcasted by Fox Sports.
Though Fox could retain a few, unique regular-season event games, the shift to streaming giants Netflix and NBC/Peacock triggers a new era for these marquee matchups.
This all comes after MLB’s decision to divide ESPN’s former package, which included Sunday Night Football, the Home Run Derby, and playoff games.