Major League Baseball faces significant changes as its collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of this season. MLB Players Association Interim Executive Director Bruce Meyer told ESPN a lockout is "all but guaranteed", with owners expected to push for a salary cap. Nine MLB teams announced new MLB-operated channels carried by DirecTV this week, following contract terminations with struggling FanDuel Sports Networks. MLB aims to control all 30 teams' local rights by 2028 to sell them as a national streaming package. The league's national media rights expire after the 2028 season, allowing potential redistribution. Commissioner Rob Manfred has suggested expanding to 32 teams and realigning geographically. Despite upheaval, baseball is thriving. Last year's World Series attracted over 50 million viewers, the most in 34 years. However, MLB's EBITDA margin sits under 2%, significantly below other major leagues.

Versus Systems has renewed its partnership with the Texas Rangers for the 2026 Major League Baseball season, extending a five-year collaboration and introducing upgraded Filter Fan Cam technology. The platform allows fans to see themselves on venue video boards with custom-branded filters and interactive overlays. The next-generation system features a high-performance C++ tracking engine, 60 frames-per-second camera driver, enhanced facial tracking across crowds, and dynamic face paint filter functionality. These improvements aim to reduce latency and deliver smoother real-time interactions at Globe Life Field. The renewal demonstrates confidence in Versus' technology as the company focuses on driving fan engagement and revenue growth. The Texas Rangers praised the platform for creating memorable experiences, whilst Versus continues advancing its interactive engagement solutions across sports and live entertainment.

Major League Baseball's Automated Ball/Strike system will debut in regular-season games in 2026, following spring training trials last year. The technology uses cameras to track pitches and determine if they crossed the strike zone, though human umpires still call every pitch. Each team receives two challenges per game, which must be made within two seconds by batters, pitchers or catchers only. Teams retain challenges if successful and receive additional challenges in extra innings. Last year's spring training saw teams win 52.2% of 1,182 challenges, averaging 13.8 seconds each. A league survey found 72% of fans rated ABS positively during spring training, with only 10% viewing it negatively. Managers expect catchers will handle most challenges due to their optimal viewing position, particularly in critical late-game situations.