How to Watch MLB Games: Live Stream Baseball Anywhere

For years there was no daylight between MLB and ESPN. That partnership underwent a significant restructuring after the 2025 season, which altered the MLB broadcasting landscape.

Currently, MLB’s national broadcasting rights are split between multiple media partners. ESPN is still a major player, but several platforms, including brand new partners like Netflix, have taken over portions of MLB.TV’s distribution and streaming rights.

Apple TV has exclusive streaming rights for Friday Night Baseball double headers through 2028. Fans can look forward to 50 Friday night games over 25 weeks, this season. Live pregame and postgame shows are included in Apple TV’s coverage. Fans take note: These matchups are not subject to local blackout restrictions.

Apple TV comes with a one-week free trial. New iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, and Apple 4K TVs come with a complimentary, three-month subscription to Apple TV, so if you’ve been on the fence about upgrading your current device, now may be the time. 

If your MLB viewing habits include weekly Sunday night games, you may wish to consider opting into an Apple TV and Peacock bundle. This will save you from the cost of buying both platforms separately. 

A three-year media agreement between NBC Sports and MLB was signed for the rights to Sunday Night Baseball and the wild-card playoff rounds. Primetime Sunday matchups will be available to stream on Peacock. 

Some Sunday games will also air on NBC's primary broadcast network, or on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) via cable. This level of wrap-around Sunday coverage ensures maximum profits via subscription dollars for NBC, which aired its first MLB game in 1939. It’s been 26 years since NBC regularly aired MLB games on its network. NBC/Peacock had a short-lived deal that ended after the 2023 season.  

Here are some highlights fans can expect during the 2026 season:

• NBC Sports will air 27 primetime games, and 34 Sunday afternoon games, across NBC network TV, Peacock, and NBCSN. Matchups will be shown either on NBC and Peacock, or on Peacock and NBCSN.
• Peacock will stream some holiday and special event matchups, as well as Sunday afternoon whip-around shows, plus 18 MLB Sunday Leadoff Peacock will also air one out-of-market game each day of the season.

Netflix is streaming live MLB games for the first time in its history this season. Their three-year media rights deal kicked off with an opening night exclusive matchup on March 26, between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco’s Oracle Park.

The MLB Home Run Derby in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park aired on July 16, but produced disappointing ratings for the streamer. St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker won the Derby, but the Phillies’s own Kyle Schwarber wowed the local crowd.

Netflix’s final MLB offering for 2026 is the Field of Dreams game on August 13th, at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa. I have Netflix, and I’m super excited for this one. The matchup between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies will be preceded by a Minor League game between the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints. So, will FOD star Kevin Costner be there? Probably not, but he’s lending his voice talents to promotional materials, and the game’s opening intro. Hamming it up will be the players themselves, who’ll be wearing retro baseball uniforms and patches. 

Netflix subscribers have full access to Netflix’s live MLB lineup and replays at no extra cost. So for that reason, I’ll be holding onto Netflix for the rest of the summer, despite having nagging streaming fatigue. 

TBS will air 24 regular season games on Tuesday nights during the 2026 season. You may have access to TBS through cable. I have access to TBS through a low-budget tier on Optimum (see my review of Optimum here).

ESPN’s weekly coverage will air on ESPN’s cable channel, and the ESPN app. You'll need a subscription to ESPN Unlimited to watch MLB.TV, unless you have access on a separate platform. You can also bundle Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN.

ESPN’s exclusive midweek 30-game national package includes most regular-season matchups on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, during the summer. This marks a big shift for the sports broadcasting giant, which had exclusive rights to Sunday night matchups from 1990-2025.

The ESPN app also shares the broadcasting spotlight with ABC TV for three regular-season weekday afternoon games this summer. Those dates are June 14, June 27, and August 16.

ESPN and TBS will be running midweek games on multiple platforms, including several live TV streamers:

• Sling TV has three MLB packages. Their Orange package gives you access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, and TBS. Their Blue package gives you access to games on FS1, Fox, NBC, and TBS. You can also combine both packages for full access. Fox and NBC are only available in specific local markets though, so make sure to check their availability in your area before you spring for this expensive option. Sling TV doesn’t offer a free trial.
• Fubo has MLB coverage of regional, national, and out-of-market games, on various channels. You’ll need to use your zip code to see which games are available to watch in your local area. ESPN, Fox, and FS1 are included in all U.S.-English base plans. Fubo also has an MLB.TV add-on. Fubo offers a five-day free trial for new customers.

A select number of Sunday night and Sunday afternoon games will be available on NBC network TV for free.

ABC TV will also show three free weekday afternoon games.

MLB.TV is the official live-stream subscription service for Major League Baseball.

Fans can watch every live out-of-market regular season game on MLB.TV. This platform also gives you access to on-demand archives, and radio broadcasts.

MLB.TV blocks virtual private network (VPN) server IP addresses. You may, however, get lucky and be able to bypass MLB blackouts by connecting to a server outside of your local blackout zone.

MLB.TV offers standalone in-market subscription packages for 22 out of 30 clubs. These subscriptions let local fans bypass blackout restrictions. If your local team isn’t listed, an RSN may be your best bet.