Is ESPN’s New MLB.TV Subscription Process a Strikeout?

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Published Feb 19, 2026

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New for the 2026 season, ESPN is the exclusive distributor of MLB.TV — an extra streaming package you can buy to watch loads of out-of-market Major League Baseball games. MLB.TV costs $149.99 for the season or $29.99 per month and, for new customers, it’s kind of complicated.

What’s new (and kind of annoying): Technically, you now need an ESPN Unlimited streaming subscription to buy MLB.TV.
What helps the cause: You can get one month of ESPN Unlimited for free if you’re new. Existing ESPN Unlimited subscribers get a $15 discount on MLB.TV.
What makes it annoying, still: ESPN Unlimited is a standalone service that costs around $30 per month. You’ll need to cancel it to avoid auto-renewal at that rate after the free trial. Your MLB.TV subscription will remain.

I don't care about baseball enough to pay for this plan, but I tried to sign up anyway. And it was more painful than a hit-by-pitch.

I first selected the MLB.TV seasonal plan from ESPN’s signup page and added my email address.
Then, I was prompted to log in with my MyDisney account, which I already have because of Disney+.
After logging in, I was reminded ESPN Unlimited is required to purchase MLB.TV.
I then moved through my plan options and halted at the page showing I’d owe $18.94 today to add ESPN Unlimited to my existing Disney+ bundle.
The option to get the free trial wasn’t obvious to me, and I’d need to do more research or contact customer service to figure out how to get MLB.TV without paying for ESPN Unlimited.

I left frustrated and longing for my childhood, when all I had to do was flip to channel 10 to find a game most nights of the week.

I’m out.

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Tommy Tindall

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