MLB Local Media is a division of Major League Baseball that produces and distributes regional television broadcasts for various MLB teams. Established prior to the 2023 season, the division has primarily served teams who no longer had a broadcaster due to business issues affecting their regional sports network rightsholders, including the ongoing bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group—owner of FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports), and the closure of AT&T SportsNet in 2023. MLB Local Media broadcasts are distributed via ad-hoc agreements with television providers in each team's home market, as well as over-the-top (OTT) subscription packages hosted by MLB.tv (branded under names such as Padres.tv and DBacks.tv). [1]
The division began operations in earnest on May 31, 2023, when it took over broadcast rights to the San Diego Padres after Diamond Sports Group missed a payment to the team. It would also take over rights to the Arizona Diamondbacks later in the season, after Diamond opted out of its contract with the team. The Colorado Rockies were added in the 2024 season after the closure of AT&T SportsNet, and it also began to produce MLB Sunday Leadoff for The Roku Channel. In October 2024, it was announced that MLB Local Media had acquired rights to the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins beginning in the 2025 season. Later in November of that year, it was announced that MLB Local Media had acquired rights to the Cincinnati Reds.