MLB to Bundle WBC Broadcast Rights in Post-2028 TV Deals

Major League Baseball is moving to bundle the broadcast rights for the World Baseball Classic with its broader media package for the 2028 cycle, according to multiple industry reports. This strategic shift means the international tournament, which features national teams from around the globe competing every four years, will no longer be sold as a standalone property in the United States.

Instead, its television and streaming rights will be negotiated as part of the comprehensive MLB rights deal that governs regular season games, postseason play, and other league-controlled content. The decision reflects MLB’s effort to streamline its media rights sales process and enhance the value of its overall package for potential broadcasters and streaming platforms.

By incorporating the WBC into the larger MLB agreement, the league aims to present a more attractive, all-encompassing offering that includes both domestic professional baseball and its premier international competition. Industry analysts suggest this approach could simplify negotiations while potentially increasing the total rights fee paid by media partners seeking access to the full suite of MLB-controlled baseball content.

The WBC has been sold as a standalone property since it launched in 2006 as a response to baseball’s exclusion from the Olympic Games, with Fox airing the most recent iterations of the tournament. The property has gone from strength to strength, with the 2026 edition delivering record viewing figures of 10.78 million for Venezuela’s triumph over the US in the final – more than average viewership for the five-game 2023 World Series.

the tournament averaged 1.29 million across Fox’s main network and cable channels, a 156 per cent increase on 2023. MLB’s domestic broadcast deals expire in 2028 and the league has made no secret of plans to centralise as many rights as possible to increase national revenues and adapt to a changing local rights marketplace impacted by the demise of regional sports networks (RSNs) in the US.

League commissioner Rob Manfred had indicated that including a ratings winner like the WBC into a marquee package would help it achieve that, but warned that a firm cadence would have to be established. Since it launched in 2006, the WBC has been held every three or four years, with no decision made yet on whether the next event will be held in 2029 or 2030.

Broadcasters would need greater certainty if they were to invest significant amounts in the rights. Sources indicate that the league has also begun probing potential partners about their willingness to absorb streaming-related costs associated with distributing the WBC games.

As viewer habits continue to shift toward digital platforms, MLB is evaluating how the financial burden of streaming delivery—including infrastructure, technology, and distribution expenses—might be shared between the league and its media partners. This aspect of the discussions highlights the evolving economics of sports broadcasting in an era where traditional television audiences are declining and online viewership is growing.

Speaking on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ earlier this month, Manfred said: “Our broadcast partners were out in force at the WBC finals and I think this is going to be a piece of our national broadcasting agreements.” However, Manfred issued a caveat for the event shifting to a regular rotation, adding: “Obviously, to do that it has to be on a regular schedule.”

The WBC drew huge viewership figures for the recent 2026 edition in the US. Notably, Venezuela’s victory over Team USA in the final attracted over 10 million viewers on Fox’s main free-to-air channel and its Spanish-language linear offering, Fox Deportes. That game, which peaked at 5.64 million, was the most-watched WBC broadcast in the US of all time.

Rights to this year’s WBC were acquired just months before the tournament, with national network Fox Sports agreeing a US rights deal last October.