Baseball Fans Slam MLB for Making Season Opener a Netflix Exclusive: ‘Worst Idea Anyone Has Ever Had’
Baseball fans made their frustration loud and clear over Wednesday's season opener between the Yankees and the San Francisco Giants being a Netflix exclusive.
Players from the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets stand on the field for introductions on Opening Day at Citi Field in Corona, N. Y. , on April 4, 2025.
(Photo by Gordon Donovan via AP) Baseball fans made their frustration loud and clear over Wednesday’s season opener between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants being a Netflix exclusive. Over the last few years, Netflix has become a major player in the sports world. The streaming service has broadcast major boxing events, the NFL’s Christmas Day games, and will soon make its MMA debut with a fight card let by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano .
The moves made by Netflix were merely the continuation of a growing trend in the sports world. The NBA, for example, gave one of its coveted media rights packages to Amazon. Ahead of Wednesday night’s game, more than a few MLB fans took issue with this new era of sports broadcasting.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous to have Opening Day on Netflix,” X/Twitter user @Christian_NYYST said. “Fans have been waiting all winter to watch baseball again and the fact [that] it’s not available to everyone is a crime. There’s 161 other games to shove on those platforms.