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

Want MLB.TV? You have to go through ESPN to get it, but there are other ways (some even free) to catch a game.

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Updated Mar 17, 2026

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MLB on ESPN looks a bit different this year. The staple ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ broadcast ended last year, but there will still be games on the network.

A new agreement with Major League Baseball allows ESPN to broadcast 30 regular season weeknight games mostly during the core summer months. Those games will be available via ESPN and the ESPN Unlimited subscription service.

As part of the agreement, ESPN will also air an MLB “game of the day” for ESPN Unlimited subscribers, which amounts to more than 150 out-of-market games.

Perhaps more appealing to the cost conscious, you can still catch a “free game of the day” on the MLB app so long as you register with your email; no credit card required.

MLB.TV now offered exclusively through ESPN

Of course, you could pay more to get more. Also 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 a little frustrating): 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 you have to remember to do: 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 extra for MLB.TV, 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 ’90s childhood, when all I had to do was flip to channel 10 to find MLB on ESPN most nights of the week.

Luckily, there’s still a lot of baseball on TV. You just have to find it.

» MORE: Which streaming services fit your budget?

Where else to watch baseball on TV

NBC and Peacock pick up where ESPN left off as the new home for Sunday night games. While it’s not as easy as flipping over to Channel 10, other networks and streamers round out the week.

TBS televises Tuesday night games for the national audience. Find those on HBO Max as well.
Apple TV+ is back with another season of Friday night baseball games.
Fox will have national Saturday night matchups, along with plenty of other games on FS1 throughout the season. Stream with Fox One.

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Tommy Tindall

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