Now Streaming: Apple TV+ prices rising in U.S., select international markets

“Now Streaming” is The Fly’s weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.

PLAYING THIS WEEKEND: Among this weekend’s most notable new content is the first episode of season two of HBO Max (WBD) series “Peacemaker,” which stars John Cena in the titular role and takes place in the DC Comics universe. The first episode of the new season premiered August 21. Meanwhile, Netflix (NFLX) subscribers can catch British political thriller miniseries “Hostage,” starring Julie Delpy, and adult animated series “Long Story Short,” created by “Bojack Horseman” creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg.

APPLE TV+: Apple (AAPL) is stated in a post to X: “SCOOP: MLB rights deals are ‘close to being done,’ per sources. What I’m hearing: – Apple is fully out. RIP Friday Night Baseball – NBC/Peacock (CMCSA) is in, for Friday and Sunday exclusive and Wild Card – MLB TV being sold to ESPN (DIS) (for a boatload of $$) – Netflix gets HR Derby.” The next day, The Atlhetic’s Andrew Marchand reported that MLB and ESPN have struck a framework deal that would give the sports network the exclusive rights to sell all out-of-market regular-season contests digitally and in-market games for five teams over the next three years. As part of the agreement, ESPN would still broadcast roughly 30 regular-season games, just not “Sunday Night Baseball,” as the company would move to a different night of the week, the author said, noting the deal would start next season. The agreement has not yet been inked, and it’s finalization is not anticipated until next month, Marchand added, noting that while it is not yet known what amount ESPN will pay, it is expected to be “substantial.”

Meanwhile, Comcast’s NBCUniversal is nearing a three-year deal to carry Major League Baseball games on NBC and the Peacock streaming service in a rights agreement approaching $200M annually, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Flint and Isabella Simonetti. Netflix is also close to a deal to stream the “Home Run Derby” for more than $35M a year under an agreement that would also run through 2028, the report noted, adding that MLB and the media companies are still engaged in talks.

PARAMOUNT: House Democrats Jamie Raskin and Frank Pallone are investigating whether Paramount (PSKY) and Skydance caved to President Trump’s “illegitimate demands” in order to win approval for their merger, Kevin Breuninger and Ali McCadden of CNBC reported Thursday. “Illegitimate demands from the or the Administration do not absolve your company from wrongdoing,” the House members wrote to David Ellison, CEO of the combined company.

FUBO/DAZN: FuboTV (FUBO) and DAZN announced a multi-year partnership in Canada, expanding on their recent U.S. distribution agreement. As part of the Canadian deal, DAZN will carry Fubo Sports Network, Fubo’s owned and operated linear TV network, and Fubo will carry DAZN’s premium live sports, including exclusive sports rights, across their respective platforms. Through this partnership, DAZN customers in Canada will now be able to purchase Fubo Sports Network as a bundle with their DAZN subscription. Fubo subscribers across Canada will be able to purchase DAZN, including NFL, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, top boxing events and more, as both a standalone product or bundled with Fubo’s subscription plans, which currently feature every single Premier League and Serie A match, including exclusive Premier League matches in 4K, exclusive coverage of the action on and off the pitch on Premier League TV, and thousands of additional live matches from the top competitions from around the world.

JPMORGAN ON NETFLIX: JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth believes investor expectations remain elevated for Netflix after the company increased its 2025 outlook when reporting Q2 results. The company expects an engagement ramp in the back half of the year but its total viewing comparisons have faced pressure from paid sharing and content delays from strikes, the analyst tells investors in a research note. JPMorgan continues to think Netflix shares offer a balanced risk/reward. It keeps a Neutral rating on the shares with a December 2026 price target of $1,300.

STOCK PLAYS: Other publicly traded companies in the space include AMC Networks (AMCX), Fox (FOXA), Amazon (AMZN), and Roku (ROKU).