Roku has secured the exclusive multi-year rights to stream Major League Baseball’s Sunday Leadoff games.
Starting May 19, baseball fans can enjoy 18 games throughout the season for free on The Roku Channel. Notably, there will be no blackout restrictions, making these games available to anyone with an internet connection.
“With free games available to anyone, MLB games on Roku will be widely accessible to fans,” said Noah Garden, MLB Deputy Commissioner for Business and Media. “Since Roku serves as an entertainment gateway for millions, this partnership offers a valuable new promotional and distribution platform for MLB games and content.”
These slate of games were hosted exclusively on Peacock last year.
The games, which will air every Sunday from May 19 to September 15, will be the first of the day, with start times generally around 11:35 a.m. ET, except for the inaugural game between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Roku’s exclusive window for these games is similar to Apple TV+’s strategy with its Friday Night Baseball package, which costs $9.99 per month.
How to watch Roku’s MLB Sunday Leadoff Games
Roku’s MLB offering stands out by being completely free and accessible without any subscription.
You don’t even need a Roku streaming device or Roku TV to watch these games. The Roku Channel is a standalone, ad-supported platform that’s widely available across various Smart TVs and streaming devices including Amazon Fire TVs, Android TV, and Google TV. You can also watch games on TheRokuChannel.com.
MLB.TV subscribers will be able to watch the games without blackout restrictions as well, according to Monday’s announcement by Roku.
The news about the MLB deal comes amidst a turbulent time for sports broadcasting, particularly with the challenges faced by regional sports networks (RSNs).
Amazon’s anticipated move to take over Bally Sports RSNs signals a potential shake-up in the industry, as traditional cable networks struggle to maintain their foothold.
The telecasts, produced in partnership with MLB, will feature renowned broadcasters like Chip Caray, Will Middlebrooks, and Alexa Datt. Additionally, Roku is launching a new MLB Zone to help fans discover live and upcoming games, nightly recaps, highlights, and a fully programmed MLB FAST channel.
This initiative underscores the ongoing fragmentation of sports broadcasting rights across various platforms.
Charlie Collier, President of Roku Media, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing accessible, high-quality sports content. “With this deal, Roku delivers free, live, weekly Sunday baseball and 24/7 baseball curation, destinations, and channels across our platform. The lead-in to all of television is now the lead-off for Sunday baseball as well. It’s a terrific partnership.”
Roku MLB Sunday Leadoff Schedule
Here is the full schedule of MLB Sunday Leadoff games on Roku:
- May 19th: Red Sox vs. Cardinals at 1:05 PM ET
- May 26th: Blue Jays vs. Tigers at 11:35 AM ET
- June 2nd: Twins vs. Astros at 1:05 PM ET
- June 9th: Giants vs. Rangers at 1:05 PM ET
- June 16th: Cardinals vs. Cubs at 12:05 PM ET
- June 23rd: Diamondbacks vs. Phillies at 11:35 AM ET
- June 30th: Pirates vs. Braves at 11:35 AM ET
- July 7th: Diamondbacks vs. Padres at 4:10 PM ET
- July 14th: Yankees vs. Orioles at 11:35 AM ET
- July 21st: Brewers vs. Twins at 1:05 PM ET
- July 28th: Reds vs. Rays at 11:35 AM ET
- August 4th: Giants vs. Athletics at 12:05 PM ET
- August 11th: Angels vs. Nationals at 11:35 AM ET
- August 18th: Cubs vs. Marlins at 12:05 PM ET
- August 25th: Nationals vs. Braves at 12:05 PM ET
- September 1st: Braves vs. Dodgers at 4:10 PM ET
- September 8th: Rays vs. Orioles at 12:05 PM ET
- September 15th: Reds vs. Twins at 1:05 PM ET
