BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: ESPN to sign new MLB TV deal

Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

ESPN to sign new MLB TV deal

Those sportswriters are right, baseball is obviously losing its popularity among fans and no one is watching it on TV.

ccording to a person familiar with the details of the deal speaking on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the deal. The deal is expected to be formally announced at 3:00 p.m. ET Tuesday.

ESPN has a new eight-year deal for $700 million per year that includes TV, radio, digital and international rights, up from its current $350 million fee for those rights. ESPN’s Mike Soltys Tuesday says ESPN has no comment.

The deal was first reported by Sports Business Daily.

In addition to its current TV package, which includes Sunday night games, but no playoff action, ESPN will now get to air one play-in game and gets rights to various other types of non-game MLB programming.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 28, 2012 at 12:52 PM | 22 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: chris berman is awful, espn, media, television rights

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

1. Dale Sams Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:01 PM (#4220313)

If only they had a salary cap to establish parity.

2. Lassus Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:05 PM (#4220322)

MLBAM is basically printing money at this point.

3. TerpNats Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:10 PM (#4220331)

Will there be some sort of agreement that Yanks-Bosox games don't automatically have to air on Sunday nights?

4. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:13 PM (#4220334)

Will there be some sort of agreement that Yanks-Bosox games don't automatically have to air on Sunday nights?

are you kidding??!! ESPN insisted that they play EVERY Sunday night

5. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:34 PM (#4220359)

Word is the Red Sox and Yankees will open the 2013 against each other. I know, shocking.

6. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:39 PM (#4220366)

are you kidding??!! ESPN insisted that they play EVERY Sunday night

I wouldn't expect any A's vs. O's games on ESPN. It doesn't really matter anymore, though. The days of hoping your team would be The Game of The Week are long dead.

7. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:39 PM (#4220370)

Word is the Red Sox and Yankees will open the 2013 against each other. I know, shocking.

That seems silly to me. Why not have the opening game be a couple of lesser teams? You know the ratings for Sox/Yankees will be there (though the 74 win Sox may change that) so go with a "lesser" matchup (in TV terms) where the Opening Day Bump is likely to be more dramatic.

8. The Yankee Clapper Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:40 PM (#4220374)

Will there be some sort of agreement that Yanks-Bosox games don't automatically have to air on Sunday nights?

When other games get higher ratings, I suspect we'll see fewer Yankees-Red Sox games on national TV.

9. Fat Al Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:40 PM (#4220375)

Not so fast: ESPN agrees to broadcast games of every team at least once a year in the new deal

10. McCoy Posted: August 28, 2012 at 03:50 PM (#4220387)

Not so fast: ESPN agrees to broadcast games of every team at least once a year in the new deal

Sure because with interleague play the Red Sox and Yankees are bound to play every team at least once.

11. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: August 28, 2012 at 04:29 PM (#4220441)

ESPN is promising to give the Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays, White Sox, Tigers, Royals, Indians, Twins, Rangers, A's, Angels, Mariners, Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Reds, Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers, Cubs, Astros, Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres, and Rockies "a very exciting font" on the bottom-of-the-screen score ticker.

12. Der_K Posted: August 28, 2012 at 04:32 PM (#4220446)

11: I laughed.

13. jingoist Posted: August 28, 2012 at 07:36 PM (#4220672)

I cried

14. God Posted: August 28, 2012 at 08:22 PM (#4220701)

13 posts and not a single one crowing about the implied demise of "Baseball Tonight"? I thought that would be great news -- or has everyone already switched over to the MLB Network like I have?

15. Buzzards Bay Posted: August 28, 2012 at 08:23 PM (#4220703)

Eastwood in 'Gran Torino'

16. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 28, 2012 at 08:32 PM (#4220707)

Where is the demise of "Baseball Tonight" implied here? And why would that be good news?

17. you got a STEAGLES? you're gonna need a STEAGLES. Posted: August 28, 2012 at 08:39 PM (#4220713)

Those sportswriters are right, baseball is obviously losing its popularity among fans and no one is watching it on TV.

well, baseball has kind of benefitted from the other 3 major sports having near nuclear level meltdowns in labor negotiations.

the NHL lost a full season, and is on track to lose more games again, since they still don't have a labor agreement for the coming year.
the NBA lost about a third of last season.
the NFL didn't lose any games, but they lost a ton of goodwill due to the labor disruption, and they lost a lot of momentum when the season was in doubt.

18. The Yankee Clapper Posted: August 28, 2012 at 09:43 PM (#4220755)

13 posts and not a single one crowing about the implied demise of "Baseball Tonight"?

Not seeing that in the deal, but TFA lists some additional aspects:

-Rights to produce a new, daily baseball studio show.
-Ten additional regular-season games, including four more covering pennant chases in late September and up to six more during holiday weekends like --Memorial Day.
-No local TV blackouts for ESPN Monday and Wednesday prime-time games.
-Rights to air all regular-season tiebreakers, if there are any.
-The ability for SportsCenter to air highlights of games still in progress.
-The ability to have top teams appear on ESPN Sunday night games more often.
-All ESPN MLB shows, including games and studio shows, will become available digitally via WATCHESPN.

19. flournoy Posted: August 28, 2012 at 10:43 PM (#4220797)

13 posts and not a single one crowing about the implied demise of "Baseball Tonight"? I thought that would be great news -- or has everyone already switched over to the MLB Network like I have?

I'm not sure why that's great news. The only times I ever watch TV are the few times during the year that I'm staying in a hotel, and I don't stay in fancypants hotels that get MLB Network. (I'm lucky if they get ESPN.) So I saw BBTN a couple of times this year, and it was fine. Better than I expected, at least. I've never seen MLB Network's equivalent, so I can't compare it to that.

20. God Posted: August 28, 2012 at 11:39 PM (#4220818)

18 - It's in the very first line you quoted.

19 - It's not the lack of a baseball show on ESPN that would be good news -- it's the implication that they intend to blow up the whole thing and start over.

21. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: August 28, 2012 at 11:56 PM (#4220824)

four more covering pennant chases in late September

they really should be back at school

22. Jonk Posted: August 29, 2012 at 12:55 AM (#4220859)

I don't interpret that wording as a replacement show. I'm sure that means another show in addition to Baseball Tonight.
There are multiple NFL shows — Countdown, Live, Matchup, Primetime, and NFL32 — on ESPN.

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

<< Back to main

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

ESPN to sign new MLB TV deal

Reader Comments and Retorts

BBTF Partner

Bookmarks

Hot Topics