MLB in talks with NBC Sports to broadcast games

MLB and NBC Sports have been in serious talks about televised matches this season, The Post has learned.

If a deal goes through, most of the games are expected to be on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock.

The previous post reported that Apple and MLB held serious talks. While there is no official transaction yet, expect that Apple and NBC will both participate this year.

MLB sought total payouts between $100 million and $150 million for these games, according to sources. It’s unclear how much NBC and Apple may pay, but Apple is expected to pay most of it.

One downside so far: need to have the actual game to broadcast. The owner and player are trying to negotiate a new employment contract, and the owners have locked the player.

But if there is a labor peace, NBC is expected to have a small portion of the broadcast, while Peacock will handle most of the game through its streaming service.

There’s a good chance the MLB Network will produce the broadcasts, which means Bob Costas return to NBC. Costas spent four decades with NBC. He is the main player of MLBN.

NBC last aired baseball in 2000.

For Apple TV+, the expectation is that MLB Network will take over the production.

The main MLB national broadcasts are still owned by Fox Sports, ESPN, and Turner. Fox is the home ground of the World Series and regular weekly games. ESPN has “Sunday Night Baseball,” and if extended knockouts are added in a new CBA, it will have access to the first round of the post-season. Turner will have regular matches every Tuesday night and will broadcast knockouts, including a series of League Championships.

MLB had more regular-season inventory for sale because ESPN reduced the number of national games it would broadcast during the week, eliminating regular Monday and Wednesday programming to focus into more regular season games, “Sunday Night Baseball,” and potential Open MLB knockouts.

MLB has been in talks with multiple parties about these games, including Barstool Sportswhich The Post reported in August.

As for MLB, it strengthens its relationship with Comcast, NBC’s parent company and owner of regional sports networks, and Apple, which has partnered with MLB since its app store inception. . US Time Today