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Rob Manfred says MLB Network’s production arm will play ‘major role’ in league’s post-2028 media plans

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has signaled that MLB Network’s in-house production capabilities will be a cornerstone of the league’s next media strategy, particularly as it prepares to renegotiate its national TV deals after 2028. The league’s decision to take over local broadcasts—starting with the Padres in 2023 and expanding rapidly—has demonstrated the value of self-produced content, especially during the collapse of regional sports networks like those owned by Diamond Sports Group.

By mid-2024, nearly half of MLB teams had shifted their local games to MLB’s own production arm, MLB Local Media, with Manfred now projecting full league-wide control by the end of the decade. This shift reflects a broader plan to bundle local and national games into a single package, likely targeting streaming platforms or tech companies, rather than selling local rights separately.

MLB Network has already proven its versatility this season, producing content for Apple TV’s *Friday Night Baseball*, Netflix’s pre- and postgame shows, Peacock’s *Sunday Stretch*, and even global feeds for the All-Star Game and World Series, while also supporting MLB.TV and international broadcasts in the UK and India. The league’s upcoming negotiations—covering deals with Fox, TNT, NBC, ESPN, Netflix, and Apple—will hinge on this production infrastructure, which Manfred describes as a critical asset for flexibility and content value in the post-2028 landscape.

However, securing buy-in from high-profile teams like the Yankees and Dodgers remains a hurdle, as their local TV contracts extend well beyond the 2028 deadline.

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