Netflix and Comcast Nearing Major MLB Rights Deal - Streaming Giants Expand Sports Dominance

Streaming titans Netflix and Comcast are finalizing a landmark MLB rights acquisition—potentially reshaping how America watches baseball.

The Digital Diamond Rush

Traditional broadcast models keep striking out as streaming services aggressively pursue live sports content. This move signals another power shift from cable bundles to on-demand platforms.

Content Arms Race Escalates

Netflix's push into live sports continues accelerating—first F1, now baseball. Comcast's involvement suggests complex distribution partnerships emerging between streaming and broadband giants.

Wall Street's Bottom of the Ninth

Analysts predict bidding wars will drive rights fees into stratospheric territory—because nothing says 'responsible capital allocation' like paying billions for the privilege of showing millionaires playing a children's game.

Viewer experience stands to gain from streaming innovation, but consumers may ultimately pay through fragmented subscriptions and yet another platform demanding monthly fees.

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For context, ESPN chose to opt out of its seven-year, $550 million-per-year deal in February. MLB is now negotiating to divide parts of the package, including Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and the Wild Card playoffs, among several different broadcasters.

Comcast, Netflix Eye MLB Rights

According to The Wall Street Journal, Comcast’s NBCUniversal is set to pay around $200 million per year for MLB rights to broadcast games on its network and the Peacock streaming service.

Additionally, Netflix is nearing a deal to secure the annual Home Run Derby for $35 million per year. Notably, other elements of the deal could increase the overall value even further. The deal is set to run through 2028.

Together, NBC and Netflix WOULD cover roughly 43% of the value of the expiring ESPN contract. However, MLB and the media companies are still in negotiations, and no deals have been finalized yet.

The Rationale

Sources say MLB expects its new deals to bring in more revenue than its previous agreement with ESPN.

For NBCUniversal, if the deal is finalized, it will air Sunday night baseball when not showing football or basketball, boosting its sports lineup. NBCU would also receive some postseason baseball rights. Meanwhile, Netflix’s MOVE underscores its push to expand sports offerings and attract more viewers for live events.

Overall, the deals highlight the growing competition between traditional media and streaming giants for live sports content.

Is CMCSA a Good Stock to Buy?

Turning to Wall Street, CMCSA stock has received a Moderate Buy based on seven Buys, eight Holds, and one Sell assigned in the last three months. Moreover, the average Comcast stock price target of $39.43 implies a 17.4% upside potential from current levels.