The MLB 2026 season marks a new era for baseball fans. With the collapse of several traditional cable models and the league's push for a "National Direct-to-Consumer" solution, watching the MLB Network has never been easier - or more confusing.
Whether you are following the high-spending Los Angeles Dodgers, keeping tabs on Juan Soto’s second year with the New York Mets, or tracking the league's youth movement, here is how to catch every "MLB Tonight" highlight, ”Showcase" game, and more.
MLB Network is also set to be the exclusive home for "Road to the Classic" programming, featuring scouting reports and rosters for the upcoming 2026/2027 World Baseball Classic.
So, what is the MLB Network? How can you watch and stream it? How much does it cost? GOAL answers all these questions as we take you through our guide to MLB Network for the 2025 MLB season.
What is MLB Network?
Getty imagesMLB Network is a pay-television cable channel owned by Major League Baseball and operated as its specific platform for coverage of MLB out-of-market fixtures and other MLB-related replays and programming. Similar to the NFL Network, it functions as a catch-all broadcaster alongside local, regional, and national free-to-air coverage.
MLB broadcast rights are split nationally between free-to-air and pay-television, with ABC, Fox, and NBC offering the former and ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and TBS delivering the latter. Additionally, certain programming blocks are exclusive to streaming partners, such as Apple TV’s Friday Night Baseball and Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff.
Due to the proliferation of broadcast rights, MLB Network coverage is not quite as deep as might be anticipated. Just 26 non-exclusive games are aired in-house per season, and there are no English-language rights to postseason action. Nevertheless, through its channel, it offers additional out-of-market coverage for the vast majority of games.
Can you get MLB Network by itself?
Getty ImagesMLB Network can indeed be purchased by itself as a streaming channel operation. It is offered on a monthly or yearly contract and is priced at $29.99 per month for the offseason package, $5.99 or $149.99 per year.
However, it is also carried by many satellite and streaming packages offered throughout the United States, meaning that those who want to capture the whole MLB experience may be better locating an option that includes the channel despite its impressive year-long price.
What's the cheapest way to get MLB Network?
Getty ImagesThe cheapest way to get MLB Network is to purchase it by itself, as detailed above. This will allow subscribers to watch out-of-market matches on television and through their mobile devices and tablets, too.
However, it may also be cheaper to pick up MLB Network as part of a streaming package on balance, with higher prices working out to be more cost effective for the quantity and quality of overall coverage beyond the channel itself. Essentially, a much larger TV package could offer more for your buck.
How to stream MLB Network
With MLB Network available on a wide number of streaming options, finding the right package that ensures you can catch all of the baseball action this season and ensure your other coverage meets are met requires some serious thought.
Below, GOAL breaks down some of our favorite streaming packages that carry MLB Network as part of their lineup, as well as some pros and cons for each, helping you decide which fits the bill for you and your MLB coverage needs.
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