​It appears that baseball fans hoping to sign up for MLB.TV for the remainder of the season will no longer need to navigate any extra steps to access the service. On Wednesday, Sportico’s Jacob Feldman reported that MLB.TV, the league’s out-of-market package, is now available directly through the MLB website at a reduced price of $47.99 for the rest of the season, down from $150 for the full season (or $135 for returning subscribers). Importantly, this partial-season subscription does not require purchasing ESPN Unlimited at the time of sign-up, which had been the case at the start of the season.
Earlier in the season, MLB.TV sign-ups were complicated by a requirement to maintain an active ESPN Unlimited subscription to access the out-of-market package. New subscribers were offered one free month of ESPN Unlimited upon sign-up, but they needed to cancel actively to avoid being billed $30 in subsequent months. This setup followed a broader shift in the relationship between ESPN and MLB. In February 2025, ESPN chose to opt out of its Sunday Night Baseball package, but it soon rejoined MLB with a new agreement that included weeknight games during the regular season and the right to host MLB.TV on ESPN’s newly launched direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
Looking ahead, fans will, in the future, need to subscribe to MLB.TV through ESPN’s app. However, for the current season, both MLB’s and ESPN’s platforms remained accessible to users for the initial period. In the next season, ESPN’s app is expected to host local in-market broadcasts for teams produced and distributed by MLB Local Media, which now includes 14 clubs: the Diamondbacks, Reds, Guardians, Rockies, Tigers, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, Twins, Cardinals, Padres, Mariners, Rays, and Nationals. Whether an ESPN Unlimited account will be required for either in-market or out-of-market packages next season remains uncertain. For now, though, users can obtain MLB.TV without the hassle of an ESPN Unlimited subscription for the remainder of the season.
This development means fans can enjoy MLB.TV directly through MLB’s platform at a discounted rate, without tying their access to ESPN Unlimited. The reduced price makes the out-of-market package more accessible to a broader audience who want to watch non-local games without navigating additional subscription requirements. As the season progresses, MLB and ESPN’s evolving relationship will continue to influence how viewers access both in-market and out-of-market broadcasts, but for the moment, the rest-of-season MLB.TV experience is straightforward and ESPN Unlimited-free.
The initial report highlighting the ESPN Unlimited-free option for the rest of the season was published by Awful Announcing. This update reflects a broader trend toward simplifying access to streaming sports packages and potentially reshaping how fans engage with league-wide and team-specific broadcasts in the years ahead.