Major League Baseball is close to sealing a three-year framework agreement with Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN valued at about $1.65 billion, people familiar with the talks said. The deal would give ESPN exclusive authority to sell digital out-of-market broadcasts of all regular-season games and local streaming rights for five unspecified clubs. The pact, which follows the early termination of the parties’ previous contract, would fold MLB.TV into ESPN’s planned direct-to-consumer service and guarantee the league roughly $550 million a year through the 2028 season. Separately, MLB’s tournament arm, World Baseball Classic Inc., has awarded Netflix the exclusive Japanese media rights for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Netflix will stream all 47 games live and on-demand to existing subscribers in what will be the company’s first live sports offering in Japan. The arrangement ends the tournament’s long-running presence on Japanese terrestrial networks; Yomiuri Shimbun, co-host of Tokyo’s opening-round pool, said broadcasters will be limited to airing highlights. The twin agreements underscore MLB’s pivot toward streaming platforms as it renegotiates a broader suite of media rights. Industry executives say the league is targeting at least $550 million in annual fees from its next wave of packages, with Apple, NBC and others still in discussions.