According to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, Apple is among the companies that have submitted a bid for the rights to the iconic Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, starting in 2026.In an interview with , Manfred said that Apple, NBC, and ESPN have all submitted bids for the Sunday Night Baseball package.In June, a report suggested that Apple was among the companies in the running to land streaming rights for this package.
This week’s comments from Manfred mark the first time we’ve received official confirmation that Apple has formally submitted a bid as part of the negotiations.Alex Sherman spoke to Manfred about the Sunday Night Baseball rights this week: While it’s notable that Apple and NBC have both submitted bids for the rights to Sunday Night Baseball, it’s particularly interesting that ESPN is also still involved in the negotiations.ESPN initially declined to renew its deal beyond the 2025 MLB season at “an average of $550 million a year for the last three years of the rights.” As points out, ESPN’s decision to opt out led to blunt comments from Manfred at the time.
“We do not think it’s beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform,” Manfred wrote in an email to MLB owners in February.Despite that messy breakup, ESPN and MLB are still in talks.Apple currently holds the rights to Friday Night Baseball, which sees it exclusively stream two games every Friday on Apple TV+.
Obtaining the rights to Sunday Night Baseball would be a major expansion of Apple’s partnership with the MLB.The Sunday Night Baseball package, however, is significantly more expensive than Apple’s Friday Night Baseball deal.Apple inked its seven-year deal with MLB for Friday Night Baseball in 2022 at approximately $85 million per season.
Friday Night Baseball is available at no extra charge to Apple TV+ subscribers.The news also comes as Apple is rumored to be a front-runner for F1 streaming rights in the United States.Most recently, reported that “barring a last-minute change,” Apple is poised to secure this deal as part of an agreement worth at least $150 million per year starting with the 2026 F1 season.
9to5Mac’s Take As a massive baseball fan, it’s discouraging to see the deterioration of the relationship between MLB and ESPN, which once broadcast six MLB games per week.I have many fond memories of watching Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.There are many questions about what it means for the iconic Sunday Night Baseball franchise to be locked behind a streamer.
I’m also highly concerned about what it would mean for ESPN’s broader coverage of Major League Baseball if the company were to completely abandon its MLB partnership.The pricing for Sunday Night Baseball also seems out of whack.Sure, the brand is iconic, but $550 million per year for one Sunday Night Baseball game per week is vastly higher than the $85 million per year Apple pays for two Friday Night Baseball games each week.
That being said, Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball broadcast—from a technical perspective, at least —is very impressive.If there is a company that can be a good steward of the historic Sunday Night Baseball franchise, I like to think it’s Apple.My favorite iPhone accessories: Anker Power Bank with built-in USB-C Cable Charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at the same time Bring wireless CarPlay to any car Anker MagSafe Power Bank Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon. You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
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