Major League Baseball (MLB) announced new three-year media rights agreements with Netflix, NBCUniversal and ESPN on Wednesday. Netflix will stream the 2026 Opening Night game (March 25) between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 13) and the 2026 Field of Dreams Game (Aug. 13) between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. NBC will stream Sunday Night Baseball, all Wild Card Games, the MLB Draft, the Futures Game and special event games on Opening Day and Labor Day on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock.
As for ESPN, the network will air a 30-game package each season on ESPN platforms, stream an exclusive broadcast of the second-half opener and Little League Classic, give fans the option to purchase MLB.TV through the ESPN app and distribute local games for six teams, including the Twins.
“Our new media rights agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix provide us with a great opportunity to expand our reach to fans through three powerful destinations for live sports, entertainment, and marquee events,” said Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Following our last World Series game that averaged more than 51 million viewers globally, these partnerships build on MLB’s growing momentum that includes generational stars setting new standards for excellence, new rules which have improved the game on the field, and increases in important fan engagement metrics like viewership, attendance, participation and social media consumption.
What Twins fans need to know about MLB's new in-market rights deal with ESPN
In-market games will still be available on Twins.TV. For out-of-market viewers, MLB.TV remains an option to watch games. MLB.TV and Twins.TV will remain a bundle.
Twins fans shouldn't have to worry about MLB's new partnership with ESPN at all. Fans who watch games via local television can still watch games the same way as last year. The Twins' broadcast production should remain the same as well, as the new partnership is simply a distribution deal.
In conclusion, don't worry, Twins fans! While games became less accessible to watch over the past couple of years, they won't be less accessible than they were in 2025. Honestly, the biggest bummer of MLB's new media rights agreements is that Twins fans will have to buy a Netflix subscription to watch the Field of Dreams Game.