While MLB kept the players locked out, it negotiated exclusive rights agreements to stream games on Apple TV+ and Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, in hopes of reaching cord-cutters and younger viewers. That exclusivity means teams’ local rights holders won’t carry the games picked up by Apple and Peacock, just as they can’t when FOX and ESPN take games.
That means fewer games for the RSNs, which can’t be happy about losing programming that’s the lifeblood of their existence. This won’t affect every RSN equally. Apple and Peacock figure to take more games of the biggest-drawing teams, which probably include the Cubs and White Sox.
