The 2026 MLB season is nearing its end, and yet fans did not get a score bug they liked this year, whether from Netflix or FOX Network. On Sunday, as FOX debuted the new score bug for Game 1 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers, fans were again disappointed with the latest upgrade or ‘downgrade’, as many spectators have called it.
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The problems with the score bug began with the Opening Day game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. It was too small, and fans were barely able to read the tiny script inside to track the score, let alone know who was hitting and who was not. Netflix tried to mend it with a bigger score bug for the Field of Dreams game, and again faced backlash from the fans.
With the new media rights deal in place, Netflix entered the conversation about broadcasting baseball games. The streaming giant signed a three-year media rights deal with MLB in November 2025. The agreement runs through 2028 and is approximately worth $50 million annually, marking a gradual shift from the era of FOX, TBS, and ESPN.
While Netflix got the broadcasting rights to the special events, FOX/FOX Sports 1 remained as one of MLB’s long-time broadcasters. FOX retained the broadcasting rights to the World Series presented by Capital One, the League Championship Series, and the Division Series presented by Booking.com, and TBS also continues to broadcast the latter two.
FOX surely heard it all about the score bug from fans, and debuted a new one in the NLCS after using the old design in the NL Division Series.
“New scorebug for the NLCS!” announced FOX Sports: MLB on X, posting a picture of the new design.
It was big, clearly visible, with the bases on 3D. Ultimately, FOX’s attempt at a new score bug did not please fans either, and they flooded social media to express their frustration.
One fan did not mince their words about the new score bug. They wrote, “You completely downgraded your font.”
Another jibed, “let me guess…. you used AI like FOX uses for their football stuff.”
Another user mocked the design and likened it to a video game, writing, “Sponsored by the Nintendo Wii.”
“I like the design, but the font has to change,” wrote another.
One fan quipped, “Did you forget to replace the generic font on Photoshop?”
Another angry fan said, “Are you trying to take up the whole screen with these graphics? I’m already sick of it and it’s only the 1st inning of a possible 14 games. Hopefully we only have to watch it eight times (two Dodgers sweeps).”
Another fan found that the score bug bears a similarity to the NFL one from 2025. The fan wrote, “Looks like the 2025 Fox NFL score bug font!”
While the drama continued, MLB wrapped up its NLCS Game 1, and the Brewers defeated the Dodgers 2-1 to take an early lead.