In a media landscape where even brilliance can be bungled, one sport continues to invent the future—and then promptly sell it off at a discount. As valuations soar for leagues with half the content, MLB clings to its siloed strategies like relics in a streaming war. Enter Scott Boras, baseball’s most vocal power broker, to dismantle the dysfunction with scalpel-sharp clarity and a dash of dismay.

We all know about the fallout between MLB and ESPN and everything that led to this. Throughout all that, one person kept criticizing MLB for taking that step, and now he is back again. One of the most renowned sports agents in MLB, Scott Boras, has again shared his view in a recent interview with Graham Bensinger on Major League Baseball and how it handled things after the fallout.

“We had a great conversation. The idea of it is that what did he do? Lesser ratings, half the content of baseball. And he got a valuation that was double of baseball… The shrap metal of a deal could be very injurious to the overall core of another deal… The platforms are begging for content. Baseball is in such a wonderful position because they have like 12 or 10 of the NFL content,” said Boras.

The NBA sells itself as one unified product, not 30 scattered islands. That changes everything. By negotiating collectively, it maximizes leverage and secures massive national deals. Less content, fewer games—but more value. Unity sells. And the NBA is cashing in—big time.

MLB’s team-by-team media deals splinter its power and undercut overall value. Streaming giants prefer unified packages, not scattered rights from individual teams. Smaller market deals drag down broader negotiations. This patchwork approach creates chaos, weakens bargaining strength, and deepens the financial gap between rich and poor clubs.

Boras believes MLB needs one voice, not thirty shouting separately. He urges owners to centralize media rights under league control, like the NFL. This unified strategy boosts league appeal, raises streaming value, and ensures stability. Collective action could modernize MLB’s media future and level the competitive playing field.

And yet, MLB continues to whisper when the market demands a roar. In a world where unity multiplies value, baseball clings to its nostalgic chaos like a relic in pinstripes. The solution is obvious, the resistance baffling. Maybe it’s time the league learned that in media, as in baseball, teamwork still wins championships.

Scott Boras on how to make the MLB media deal

Some leagues sell the illusion of scarcity. Others flood the zone with content. But only one manages to do both—and still leave money on the table. In steps Boras, the agent provocateur of Major League Baseball, with a blueprint that slices through the league’s media muddle like a fastball down the middle. MLB mishandled a massive opportunity by selling its streaming platform, BAMTech. Instead of licensing this tech, they gave it away, losing long-term control and revenue. Boras believes this was a strategic error that cost the league dearly in future value and leverage.

If he were in charge, he believes he would never allow an opt-out clause in media contracts. “Why did they opt out? Who put the opt-out in the contract?” he asked sharply. Long-term, no-exit deals build stability and value. “You kind of know no platform bids on short-term three-year,” he explained further.

Boras insists on centralizing media rights, not letting teams negotiate individually: “They want the league. They don’t want the individual team.” He would also shift focus to content volume, saying, “Our per hour valuation exceeds any of the majors…” MLB should be sold as one massive, unified product.

If the league wants to stop leaving money on the table, perhaps it needs Boras’s playbook—no exceptions. Because in the game of streaming, you either own the diamond or watch others score. Maybe it’s time baseball stopped swinging for scraps and started hitting home runs in media deals.