Photos: MLB/Netflix
Just weeks after stepping up with a brand new, experimental sports feature, Netflix has quietly pulled the plug on its daily MLB highlights hub.
If you’ve logged into Netflix recently in hopes of catching yesterday’s home runs and diving catches, you’re not alone in wondering where this feature disappeared to.
As we reported earlier this month, Netflix quietly launched a new hub dedicated to Major League Baseball. During its incredibly short lifespan, the hub expanded rapidly, amassing an impressive library of over 300 episodes and clips.
Interestingly, Netflix was clearly tinkering with the presentation right up until the end. During the brief test, they actually changed the title of the hub from its original, straightforward name – “MLB Daily Highlights and Top Plays” to the slightly more stylish “Diamond Daily Highlights and Top Plays.”
But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Around June 22 and 23, the entire hub was wiped off the platform, leaving fans dangling in the air.
Netflix hasn’t officially commented on the sudden removal of the Hub, but our understanding of the situation behind the scenes paints a familiar picture for anyone following the streamer’s testing phases, which were designed to see how viewers would react to it and go from there once the results were in. It is not clear at this time whether it will return or not.
Because it was labeled as a test, there’s always a possibility that the Diamond Daily Highlights Hub will return in a more permanent, widely rolled-out fashion. Netflix has been making huge changes to live sports and sports-adjacent shoulder programming (such as their upcoming NFL games and WWE Raw transitions), so a daily highlight reel fits perfectly into their broader strategy.
Until then, baseball fans will have to turn to YouTube or MLB Network to get their daily fix of the diamond.
“I want it back!!!!”: Subscribers react to sudden deletion
Typically, when Netflix runs UI tests or limited content rollouts, the reaction is mixed. But in the case of Diamond Daily Highlights, the sentiment in the comments section of our original story was overwhelmingly positive — which makes its sudden disappearance incredibly disappointing for baseball fans who had incorporated the hub into their daily routine.
Many users noted that the Hub was an absolute game-changer for catching a slate of only 15 games without having to follow out-of-market teams or devote hours to television.
“I had this and I loved it! Wonder why it suddenly disappeared,” wrote one of our readers. “It took priority over Quick Pitch on MLB Network.”
Another user, baseball fan SFCR, echoed the sentiments of many who found immense value in the condensed format: “I had this amazing MLB access on Netflix today until 6/22. I was and still am frustrated and disappointed that I can’t watch 5 or 6 games in 1 hour. This would be a great thing for Netflix to offer and I wouldn’t mind paying a few bucks more per month for the always-on access. Please bring it back ASAP!!”
For out-of-market fans, this center was a boon. Reader NY Lee Lee16 wrote:
“It was fan-tastic!!!… This is until yesterday when I wanted to sit down with my dinner and watch highlights. I live in Cleveland. I’m a New York Yankees fan… It was the only place I could watch everything and it suddenly disappeared.”
Others expressed the universal frustration of recommending a cool new Netflix feature to friends and family, only to have it disappear the next day.
From the “baseball girl” begging “I want it back!!!! This is the best thing ever when I miss games 🤗” For frustrated Mets and Twins fans who are missing their long-form recaps, the verdict is clear: Netflix hit a home run with the concept, but ultimately decided to take their ball and go home.
Were you one of the lucky ones to get access to the Diamond Daily Highlights test? Do you want to see it come back? Let us know in the comments below.
