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The Home Run Derby is getting a full makeover in two thousand twenty six, and it starts with where you're watching it. Netflix is streaming the event exclusively this year, marking a significant shift away from ESPN as the platform takes on three special MLB broadcasts this season. It's a bold move that signals just how aggressively streaming is coming for live sports rights.
And when you tune in, the broadcast team will turn heads. Netflix is putting Barry Bonds and Michael Irvin in the booth together, a pairing that's unconventional by any measure. It's the kind of left-field lineup that could either be appointment television or appointment chaos, and honestly, either way, people are going to be watching.
Meanwhile, one of the Derby's most compelling storylines has nothing to do with the broadcast at all. Kansas City Royals slugger Jac Caglianone will have his father Jeff on the mound throwing pitches to him during the competition. It's a rare personal touch in a made-for-television spectacle, and it gives the young slugger a built-in comfort factor that could translate into some serious distance off the bat.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
