Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred suggests that 2028 could be a year of major change to the league’s local media rights.
That’s because the six franchises that have re-upped with the recently reorganized Diamond Sports Group all have local media rights deals that expire in 2028. Per a report by Evan Drellich in The Athletic, MLB is eyeing to have the majority of the league on board with a nationalized media rights strategy by that time.
According to Drellich, close to two-thirds of the league will have their local rights available by 2028. MLB already controls the rights for seven teams, or eight if you include a unique setup the league has with the Seattle Mariners. Diamond currently has six teams under its umbrella, with the Kansas City Royals likely making that number seven before the 2025 season. Combined, that is at least fifteen teams which will have local rights available come 2028.
Manfred has discussed the possibility of nationalizing MLB’s media rights strategy frequently in recent years, especially amid Diamond’s bankruptcy proceedings which presented the possibility that many of the league’s teams could have rights that come available. Crucially for fans, “MLB’s goal is for any offering to be free of local blackouts,” Drellich reports.
A national media rights package could prove attractive inventory for a major tech company like Apple and Amazon, or a legacy media company like ESPN. The 162 game season in the dead of summer, when other major sports are in their offseasons, can act as a key churn reducer for streaming services.
The major hurdle with nationalizing local media rights will be getting franchises on the same page. Valuations for local rights vary widely from large market teams to small market teams, and any revenue sharing agreement would need to make sense for both types of franchises.
“If you want to make a change, you’ve got to demonstrate to people that what you’re offering to them is better for them, and that’s incumbent,” Manfred told SiriusXM’s Mike Ferrin, Jim Duquette, and Kevin Frandsen.
Teams with long standing deals, like the Los Angeles Dodgers whose deal runs through 2039, may opt to honor those agreements assuming they are more lucrative.
Manfred also discussed the future of MLB Network, who last week sent emails to employees offering buyouts in an effort to downsize. “…You could imagine a world where people who stay in the bundle go to the MLB Network and they get (pre- and post-game) programming all day long, until the team in their market plays.” In this scenario, MLB Network would serve as a one-stop-shop for baseball fans, vastly simplifying the experience.
There are several hurdles to overcome before any national media rights plan can come to fruition. First, the league will have to navigate ESPN’s opt-out clause following the upcoming season. The network has expressed interest in being part of MLB’s local rights solution. Then, they’ll have to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement following 2026, which will have major implications on revenue sharing in the league. Finally, MLB will need to convince enough teams, particularly of the large market variety, to get on board with a nationalized rights package.
It will be a busy few years for the league, and ones that will prove critical to how fans access games. Hopefully MLB will find a solution that works for all stakeholders; the teams, players, and most importantly the fans.
