Global streaming giant Netflix has reportedly struck a deal with North America’s elite Major League Baseball (MLB) for the rights to the competition’s 2026 season opener.
The Athletic has said that the March 25 game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants will be shown exclusively by the streamer for the first time.
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This will reportedly be the first of a three-year agreement that will see Netflix tie up those same rights in 2027 and 2028.
The fixture slot is a coveted one as the only MLB fixture on that day of play, with the other 28 teams kicking off their seasons on March 26.
Netflix has been circling MLB rights in recent months as the league looks to reshape its broadcast landscape, while the streamer seeks to expand its live sports portfolio.
Back in August, the streamer reportedly secured a deal to showcase MLB’s annual Home Run Derby tentpole event, set at $35 million per year, also running through 2028.
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By GlobalDataSince then, the streamer also secured the rights in Japan to the 2026 World Baseball Classic competition, expanding its commitment to MLB-organized tournaments.
Through that deal, Netflix may also split rights with other MLB partners such as NBCUniversal for major regular season special location events such as “Field of Dreams,” “MLB at Rickwood Field”, and “MLB Speedway.”
All of this is with the aim of replacing previous rightsholder ESPN, which is opting out of the remaining three years of its MLB broadcast deal at the end of the current 2025 campaign, by splitting those rights among multiple partners to erase the shortfall.
In terms of official announcements, MLB has revealed a new partnership with Nutrafol, which becomes the league’s official hair growth partner on a multi-year basis.
The partnership begins immediately in anticipation of the post-season playoffs and the season-ending World Series, before stretching across the 2026 campaign.
Nutrafol claims to be the only hair growth treatment certified for sport by the NSF body (the only third-party certification MLB recognizes), and intends to use its privileged position in the category to activate alongside the league with a range of activities, including in-stadium activations.
The brand will also gain sponsorship inventory at MLB games, including branding in the bullpen for relief pitcher warmups and during walkouts, while the brand will also launch a World Series-branded sweepstake competition with tickets as prizes, and will showcase digital highlights.
Within the league, the Texas Rangers franchise has also bolstered its partnership portfolio this week, extending its jersey patch partnership with energy company Energy Transfer.
Having first partnered with the Rangers in 2018, Energy Transfer became the team’s jersey patch partner before the 2024 campaign, and will now continue in the role through the 2029 season, taking the pair’s association past the 10-year mark.
The extension will see Energy Transfer continue its philanthropic efforts in the wider Dallas area.
