MLB Announces Partnership With Roku TV for Sunday Broadcasts

Image courtesy of MLB.com

Major League Baseball announced a new live game streaming partnership for their Sunday morning package with Roku Television. The MLB will receive $30 million from Roku during its three-year deal, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported on May 16. 

According to Drellich, “MLB is to be paid $8 million in the first year, $10 million in the second year and $12 million in the final year of the deal”. 

Roku announced on May 13 that it will broadcast MLB games on Sunday mornings and afternoons from May until September. 

The Roku Channel application will televise 18 games on Sunday during the 2024 regular season and will be streamed for free. There will be no blackout restrictions for Roku TV users to stream their local team in their region. 

 

Roku is now your home for the Sunday Leadoff! Starting May 19:

⚾ 18 free games on @TheRokuChannel
⚾ @MLB Zone featuring live games, highlights, and more
⚾ MLB channel in the Live TV Channel Guide pic.twitter.com/LJ7bMNK87X

— Roku (@Roku) May 13, 2024

 

 

Drellich also stated, “that the Sunday morning package previously fetched $30 million annually from Peacock”. 

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported on May 13, “that Peacock was offering a similar average annual value to keep the Sunday package, at around $10 million”. 

According to Marchand, “A year from now, MLB also has the possibility of ESPN opting out or threatening to opt-out to reduce the $550 million yearly deal it has for “Sunday Night Baseball,” the Home Run Derby and first-round playoff games. The Disney-owned network has the option in its current deal to exercise the opt-out after next season”. 

Marchand also stated, “MLB has been facing major television issues, especially recently with Diamond Sports failing to come to a carriage agreement with Comcast that has left 12 teams’ games unavailable to those franchises’ viewers that have that service”. 

Roku’s concept has similar features to Apple TV+’s current plan to show “Friday Night Baseball.” Like Apple TV+, Roku will be the only place fans can watch their favorite team’s game with no blackout restrictions. 

The www.therokuchannel.com website also allows viewers to watch all the 2024 MLB regular season Sunday games.

The first game broadcast on Roku will be the Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 19 at 1:05 p.m. EST. The Roku broadcast crew will be play-by-play announcer Chip Caray, analyst Will Middlebrooks, and reporter Alexa Datt, who will be on the call for the MLB Sunday morning and afternoon games. 

Roku TV will also feature ‘MLB Zone’, which will house nightly recaps, game highlights, and a fully programmed free ad-supported streaming television channel showing content from across both MLB and the minor leagues. 

Roku also signed with Formula E earlier in 2024, which was the company’s first significant broadcast rights acquisition. 

In the MLB press release, Charlie Collier, President of Roku Media stated,” As television programming, live sports, and the leagues have fragmented across networks, apps, and multiple packages, Roku—home to all of them—plays an increasingly crucial role for viewers and advertisers. With this deal, Roku delivers free, live, weekly Sunday baseball and 24/7 baseball curation, destinations, and channels across our platform. The lead-in to all of television is now the lead-off for Sunday baseball. It’s a terrific partnership.”

 

Roku 2024 MLB Regular Season Sunday Schedule 

All game start times are Eastern Standard Time 

May 19, Boston Red Sox @ St. Louis Cardinals, 1:05 pm

May 26, Toronto Blue Jays @ Detroit Tigers, 11:35 am

June 2, Minnesota Twins @ Houston Astros, 1:05 pm

June 9, San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers, 1:05 pm

June 16, St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs, 1:05 pm

June 23, Arizona Diamondbacks @ Philadelphia Phillies, 11:35. am

June 30, Pittsburgh Pirates @ Atlanta Braves, 11:35am

July 7, Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Diego Padres, 4:10. pm

July 14, New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles, 11:35am

July 21, Milwaukee Brewers @ Minnesota Twins, 1:05 pm

July 28, Cincinnati Reds @ Tampa Bay Rays, 11:35 am

August 4, San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds, 12:05 pm

August 11, Los Angeles Angels @ Washington Nationals, 11:35 am

August 18, Miami Marlins @ New York Mets, 12:05 pm

August 25, Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves, 12:05 pm

September 1, Los Angeles Dodgers @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 4:10 pm

September 8, Tampa Bay Rays @ Baltimore Orioles, 12:05 pm

September 15, Cincinnati Reds @ Minnesota Twins, 1:05 pm