Major League Baseball’s financial landscape has evolved significantly in recent years. Record revenues, soaring franchise values, and new revenue streams are shaping the game off the field. This in-depth five-part analysis will break down how MLB teams make money and spend it. It will also compare financial figures across the league, and zoom in on the New York Yankees, the sport’s most valuable franchise.
MLB clubs in 2025 draw income from a wide range of sources. The traditional streams such as media rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships remain paramount, but teams are also tapping into emerging areas like real estate ventures and digital platforms. Here’s a breakdown of the major revenue sources for teams.
National Broadcast Rights
MLB’s national TV and streaming contracts provide every team with a hefty annual payout. Deals with networks like Fox, ESPN and Turner, plus newer partnerships (e.g. Apple TV+’s weekly game package and Peacock’s streaming deal), funnel roughly $60+ million per club each year. These national contracts, renewed in 2022, have grown MLB’s central revenue, benefiting all teams equally.
Local TV and Streaming Deals
Teams also earn big money from regional sports networks (RSNs) or local media deals. In large markets, these contracts are massive. For example, the Yankees own a majority stake in the YES Network, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have a long-term RSN deal that helped push their gross revenues over $1 billion in 2024 (before revenue-sharing). However, the RSN model is under pressure in 2025 due to cord-cutting and the bankruptcy of Bally Sports’ parent company. MLB has stepped in to produce and stream games for some teams formerly on Bally RSNs, experimenting with direct-to-consumer streaming in those markets. Despite this turbulence, local media rights remain a cornerstone of team incomes (especially for big-market clubs), while small-market teams see far more modest local TV revenue.
Gate Receipts (Ticket Sales) and Game-Day Revenue
Filling the ballpark is crucial to the bottom line. Ticket sales, premium seating licenses, and suites bring in hundreds of millions for top teams. For instance, the Yankees’ deep postseason run in 2024 drove franchise-record ticket and luxury suite revenues of $411.7 million (about 40% higher than 2023). This figure included over $100 million from playoff games alone (some of which is shared with other teams and players) as Yankee Stadium saw its highest attendance since 2018. On top of tickets, fans spend on concessions, parking, and merchandise at the stadium which all boos game-day income. A successful season can significantly increase attendance (MLB attendance was up ~9% in 2023 with popular rule changes speeding up the game), which directly grows these revenues.
Merchandising and Licensing
When fans purchase official MLB merchandise, from caps to jerseys, the revenue is generally shared among all teams. Still, having a popular brand means more merch is sold. The Yankees, for example, benefit from an iconic global brand (their interlocking “NY” logo merchandise is perennially among the top sellers). While the direct revenue to one team is limited by revenue-sharing, merchandise popularity enhances a team’s overall value and appeal to sponsors. Teams also profit from local licensed products and stadium retail. In 2025, MLB teams have uniform deals (Nike is the official uniform supplier) and new advertising patches on jerseys (and helmets in the postseason) that add sponsorship dollars. (The Yankees debuted a jersey sleeve patch sponsorship with Starr Insurance in 2023, reportedly worth tens of millions per year.)
Corporate Sponsorships & Advertising
Every team strikes sponsorship deals with companies for signage, promotions, and naming rights. This includes everything from scoreboard ads and outfield wall signage to branded areas of the stadium. Some teams have sold naming rights for their ballparks (e.g. the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park), while the Yankees have not renamed Yankee Stadium but do have sponsored sections (like the Budweiser Party Deck, Audi Club, etc) and many official partnerships. In 2025, teams are also monetizing new assets: uniform ads as mentioned, plus sponsored social media content and partnerships with sports betting companies (MLB has league-wide betting partnerships, and teams in states with legal sports betting often have their own deals and even in-stadium sportsbooks). These sponsorship revenues can be substantial, especially for teams with large fanbases and TV audiences.
Streaming and Digital Content
MLB’s digital media arm (MLB Advanced Media) has historically been a source of league revenue (notably, MLB owners received a windfall when Disney acquired the last stake of BAMTech in 2022, netting each team about $30 million). Now, teams are exploring their own digital content subscriptions and leveraging social media and YouTube for additional advertising income. While not as lucrative as broadcast rights, these avenues represent growth potential, especially as younger fans consume baseball via highlights and streaming. MLB.TV (the league’s out-of-market streaming service) which was recently purchased by Disney (ESPN), revenue is shared among clubs and continues to grow in 2025 as more fans cut cable.
Real Estate & Other Ventures
An emerging trend is teams developing real estate around the ballpark. The Atlanta Braves pioneered this with “The Battery Atlanta,” a mixed-use entertainment district next to Truist Park. The Battery’s restaurants, shops, and events contribute to the Braves’ revenue (helping Atlanta generate $663 million in 2024 revenue, including real estate income). Similarly, the Chicago Cubs’ owners have developed restaurants and a hotel around Wrigley Field, and the Boston Red Sox (through Fenway Sports Group) have real estate projects near Fenway Park. The Yankees’ situation is a bit different, Yankee Stadium is in a dense Bronx neighborhood with less team-controlled development, though the Yankees have invested in ventures like Legends Hospitality (which manages concessions and experiences at Yankee Stadium and other venues) and own stakes in other sports properties (YES Network, and even a piece of AC Milan via Yankee Global Enterprises). Teams also boost revenue with concerts and non-baseball events at their stadiums. For example, hosting a summer music festival or college football game (in the offseason) can provide extra income. The Yankees have occasionally hosted soccer matches and outdoor hockey games at the Stadium, leveraging it as a multi-use venue.
Revenue Sharing Offsets
It’s worth noting that for high-revenue teams, not all the money they generate stays in-house, as a significant portion is redistributed via MLB’s revenue sharing system. In 2025, 48% of each team’s local revenue is pooled and split equally. Big-market teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox contribute much more to this pool than they get back, effectively subsidizing smaller-market teams. This system means that while the Yankees might gross over $700 million in revenue, tens of millions (or more) of that are paid out to help low-revenue franchises. Revenue sharing is accounted as an expense for payor clubs (and as a revenue boost for recipients), ensuring a level of competitive balance, at least financially.
In sum, MLB teams have more revenue streams than ever. Billion-dollar TV contracts to ballpark real estate profits have pushed league revenues to record highs. The New York Yankees stand at the forefront of many of these streams, leading in attendance, television ratings, and global merchandise, which is a big reason they’re the top earner in the sport.
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