ESPN in talks with MLB to strike a $1.65B three-year deal - WSJ

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Disney-owned sports network ESPN (NYSE:DIS [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/DIS]) is reportedly in advanced discussions for a $1.65B three-year deal with Major League Baseball, according to _The Wall Street Journal_ on Friday, citing sources.

Sources told WSJ that as part of the agreement, the baseball league's streaming service, MLB.TV, would be incorporated into ESPN's new direct-to-consumer offering.

The report said the deal would include some local, in-market rights and rights to carry MLB Network on the streaming service. ESPN would also get a national package of games available on linear and its streaming service.

The deal hasn't been finalized, and terms could change, sources told WSJ.

If the deal goes through, ESPN would pay the same amount it had under a previous agreement, which fell through earlier this year, as the sports network tried to renegotiate.

ESPN was due to pay the league $550M a year from 2026 to 2028 under the older pact for the right to air 30 regular season games per season, as well as the annual Home Run Derby and Wild Card playoff round, the report said.

On Thursday, WSJ reported that NBCUniversal (CMCSA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CMCSA]) is inching closer towards a $600M three-year deal with MLB to carry games on NBC and the Peacock streaming service.

The _Journal _also reported that Netflix (NFLX [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NFLX]) is trying to secure a deal to stream Home Run Derby for more than $35M a year, and that agreement would run through 2028.

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