Amazon To Stream Some Yankees Games This Season

It's a time of change in the world of sports media rights. Just last week, after decades of partnership, ESPN and Major League Baseball parted ways. Television revenue has taken over college athletics. And traditional broadcast services are being pushed aside in favor of streaming platforms.

Case in point, Amazon Prime Video announced Wednesday that they will have exclusive streaming rights for 21 New York Yankees games on its platform. Per Reuters, the 21 games will be streamed, with no added cost, to Prime subscribers in New York and Connecticut, as well as parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Prime has already broadcast NBA games, Thursday Night Football, hockey, NASCAR and other sports, and in 2024 announced a partnership with FanDuel to allow fans to add a blackout-free package for 16 MLB teams. The Yankees addition moves baseball even closer to what they want to deliver: all games available to all fans anywhere they want to watch them.
 

New York Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton celebrates All-Star Aaron Judge after hitting a 2-run home run vs. the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. (David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports)

Amazon Prime A Player For Future MLB Broadcasts?

The end of the ESPN deal after the 2025 season means that one of the league's most valuable properties, it's exclusive Sunday Night Baseball window, will be available starting in 2026. 

Apple TV+ already has a media rights deal with MLB, and Netflix has been making huge inroads into sports broadcasts. Prime Video has already demonstrated their ability to produce and broadcast NFL games. 

While NBC or other traditional broadcast networks could get involved, it's clear commissioner Rob Manfred is intent on pushing the league into a streaming-heavy model. And with the national media rights package coming up again in 2028, it's likely Amazon could be among the front-runners. 

With this Yankees announcement, it's clear their interest in baseball is only growing.