MLB now eyeing long-term media rights plan for all 30 teams

NEW YORK -- For Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, the recent conclusion of Diamond Sports Group's bankruptcy created an "overwhelming sense of relief" with short-term certainty as the league eyes its long-term media rights plan.

SNIP

Diamond (following reorganization) moves forward with at least six MLB teams, while MLB, at the moment, possesses the local media rights -- linear TV rights and in-market, direct-to-consumer streaming rights -- for seven teams. The six clubs that negotiated new deals with Diamond -- the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays -- will all have their contracts expire by 2028, when MLB's major national deals with ESPN, Fox and Turner are slated to end. That is not a coincidence.

MLB hopes to have roughly half its teams' broadcast rights to negotiate with companies then. The league's ultimate goal is to hold linear and digital rights for all 30 clubs to have available for negotiations with networks. MLB believes nationalizing the broadcast rights would maximize revenue and eliminate local blackouts, which would expand reach. But that would require compelling clubs with stable regional sports networks, a few of which at least partially own the networks, to eventually relinquish their control and join MLB's cluster. That group includes the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

MLB will broadcast games for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres in 2025, though the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals are still undecided and could technically join as well. The Seattle Mariners are expected to join in some capacity in the near future.

Full story: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/42527774/mlb-now-eyeing-long-term-media-rights-plan-all-30-teams

All 30 teams, huh? Good luck with that. On the other hand ...

QUOTE (from the link): "Now there are mechanics and existing agreements that we're going to have to work through. But if you're making a change that you believe is going to substantially increase your revenue over the long haul, it gives you that great thing that helps you solve a lot of problems. It's called money." -- Manfred



Money. Our money.