MLB Postseason 2026: TV Schedule, Format & How to Watch
The 2026 MLB postseason is split across four broadcasters, one per round, and the lineup is different from recent years — ESPN is out of October entirely, and NBC has the playoffs for the first time in decades. Here's the bracket, the format, and exactly where to watch each round.
Who carries each round in 2026
- Wild Card Series — NBC / Peacock. NBCUniversal carries the opening round, its first MLB postseason in a generation.
- AL Division Series & AL Championship Series — TBS / truTV, streaming on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT Sports handles the American League bracket.
- NL Division Series & NL Championship Series — FOX / FS1. FOX handles the National League bracket.
- World Series — FOX. FOX holds the World Series through 2028.
Note that ESPN, which carried Wild Card rounds in recent years, has no 2026 postseason games under its new deal.
The 12-team format
The playoff field is 12 teams — six per league: three division winners and three Wild Cards. It works like this:
- The top two seeds in each league get a bye straight to the Division Series.
- Seeds 3–6 play a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with the higher seed hosting all games (no travel days).
- The Division Series are best-of-five; the League Championship Series are best-of-seven; the World Series is best-of-seven.
When it happens
Per MLB's 2026 calendar, the postseason begins September 29, 2026 with the Wild Card round, and the World Series begins October 23 (with a potential Game 7 on October 31). Exact matchups and game times are set once the regular season ends and the seeding is locked — we'll list every postseason game with its channel and first-pitch time on the schedule as it's confirmed.
What you'll need to watch it all
To catch every round in 2026 you'd need FOX and FS1 (over the air or via a live-TV service), TBS/truTV (via cable or a live-TV service, or HBO Max to stream), and NBC/Peacock. A single live-TV streaming service plus Peacock covers most of it; HBO Max adds the AL bracket if you'd rather stream TBS. See our streaming-services comparison for the cheapest way to assemble that.
2026 postseason at a glance
| Wild Card | NBC / Peacock |
| ALDS & ALCS | TBS / truTV / HBO Max |
| NLDS & NLCS | FOX / FS1 |
| World Series | FOX |
| Starts | Sept 29, 2026 · World Series from Oct 23 |
For the regular-season run-in that sets the bracket, see the full schedule, and our weekly Editor's Picks for the games that matter most down the stretch.
Last verified July 2026, from MLB and the broadcasters. Postseason network assignments are confirmed; exact game dates beyond the round-start dates are set once seeding is final.