NBCUniversal submitted a bid to take over the rights for a package of Major League Baseball games that have been dropped by ESPN, TheWrap has learned.
The offer from NBCUniversal to the MLB for the package, which includes both regular-season and postseason games, comes in a lower rate than ESPN has been paying, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, which noted the bid was submitted earlier this month. Should the MLB accept the offer, MLB games will air Sunday nights on NBC beginning after the 2025 season, when ESPN will no longer air the games.
The move comes as NBCUniversal gears up to welcome back the NBA after more than two decades. NBA games are set to air on NBC for the entirety of Tuesday night primetime beginning this fall, and will also air exclusively on Peacock on Mondays, giving a peak at what could be in store should the deal with the MLB go through.
Representatives for NBCUniversal and MLB declined to comment on this story. ESPN did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The news comes three months after the MLB and ESPN “mutually agreed” to end their partnership of more than 35 years at the end of the 2025 season as both parties opted out of the final three years of their contract, which is valued at $550 million per year.
A memo from baseball commissioner Rob Manfred explained that the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.”
Likewise, ESPN said the decision was made by applying “the same discipline and fiscal responsibility that has built ESPN’s industry-leading live events portfolio as we continue to grow our audience across linear, digital and social platforms.” “As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025,” the statement read.