Changes coming for MLB broadcast next year

[MartyDe]

Looks like baseball is making some moves. Sports broadcasting in general is all over the place.

MLB announces new 3-year rights deals with ESPN, NBC, Netflix

On the heels of a 2025 season that saw large viewership increases -- including the most watched postseason in eight years and a World Series Game 7 that was the most watched Major League Baseball game in 34 years \-\- MLB announced Wednesday that it has formed new three-year media

www.mlb.com

 

[cpalmer2k]

Their rights agreements are just a mess. Too many different broadcast & streaming partners with their hand in the cookie jar, and it just got worse. The only part I like is NBC getting rights to Sunday Night games OTA (when it doesn't interfere with other sports they already had deals for).

 

[Jimbo]

Their rights agreements are just a mess. Too many different broadcast & streaming partners with their hand in the cookie jar, and it just got worse. The only part I like is NBC getting rights to Sunday Night games OTA (when it doesn't interfere with other sports they already had deals for).

This is just copying what the NFL did with thier NFL coverage, so now you have to have a handful of different channels (things to buy in order to watch) ...

From reading thru that article ... it said you CAN get MLB.TV thru ESPN .

It didn't say "The way to get MLB.tv was thru ESPN ... thats Good, sounds like there will be other ways.
(I could see espn making it so you have to have a $30 p/m package in order to get MLB.tv)
Thats NOT the case yet.

No mention of the MLB.tv app that has been in use now for many years .... I'll presume at this time, that you can still purchase that separately ...

 

[comfortably_numb]

I'll presume at this time, that you can still purchase that separately ...

Or get it for free if you are a T-Mobile customer.

 

[cpalmer2k]

This is just copying what the NFL did with thier NFL coverage, so now you have to have a handful of different channels (things to buy in order to watch) ...

From reading thru that article ... it said you CAN get MLB.TV thru ESPN .

It didn't say "The way to get MLB.tv was thru ESPN ... thats Good, sounds like there will be other ways.
(I could see espn making it so you have to have a $30 p/m package in order to get MLB.tv)
Thats NOT the case yet.

No mention of the MLB.tv app that has been in use now for many years .... I'll presume at this time, that you can still purchase that separately ...

The NFL at least follows a pattern though. On Sundays you know where to find their games - CBS, FOX and NBC. The rare International game is the exception there.

Their only other oddball games are the Christmas Day games on Netflix, etc. They're not all over the place within a given week like MLB is.

In a given week your MLB team may play on their RSN, Fox, ESPN, FS1, Peacock, NBC, TBS, Apple TV, etc. That's a lot.

 

[Jimbo]

The NFL at least follows a pattern though. On Sundays you know where to find their games - CBS, FOX and NBC. The rare International game is the exception there.

Their only other oddball games are the Christmas Day games on Netflix, etc. They're not all over the place within a given week like MLB is.

In a given week your MLB team may play on their RSN, Fox, ESPN, FS1, Peacock, NBC, TBS, Apple TV, etc. That's a lot.

I agree with you, but you do have to consider that they play 162 Games vs 17-18 (and counting)

I would much prefer them be on easy to find networks as well.

The International games are getting ridiculous, they have more and more every year now ... I think they had 8 this year, thats almost half the year they have 2 teams having to deal with the stupid logistics of playing in those games.
I would think Those numbers are not very high here in the states.

 

[comfortably_numb]

The International games are getting ridiculous, they have more and more every year now

I don't think they should stop doing them, though, the fans in these other countries love those games.

 

[Radioguy41]

The International games are getting ridiculous, they have more and more every year now ... I think they had 8 this year, thats almost half the year they have 2 teams having to deal with the stupid logistics of playing in those games.
I would think Those numbers are not very high here in the states.

Every game the NFL plays overseas takes money from the pockets of Americans. Hotels loose bookings, vendors loose sales, off site parking looses business, gas stations loose sales, etc, etc, etc. And after all that the NFL still wants tax payers to pay for new stadiums or they threaten to relocate the team. Let em. Move the Rams to Rio, the Raiders to Jamaica, maybe the Eagles to Berlin. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Every game the NFL plays overseas takes money from the pockets of Americans

Because it's all about us, right?

 

[Jimbo]

Because it's all about us, right?

It SHOULD be ...

I don't see the Other Country Locations Paying the NFL to come over there ...
Every time a game is played overseas, 2 teams lose a LOT of money thru revenue, as Radio Guy mentioned.

 

[comfortably_numb]

MLB has (had) multiple teams in Canada and have floated the idea of a team in Mexico City. Why can't the NFL have teams in other countries?

 

[meStevo]

If it wasn't worthwhile for the league to play international games they would have stopped long ago.

Instead it's more likely we'll see as many as 16 a year in the near future once every team participates annually, perhaps as the schedule expands to 18 regular season games.

 

[Bruce]

It SHOULD be ...

I don't see the Other Country Locations Paying the NFL to come over there ...
Every time a game is played overseas, 2 teams lose a LOT of money thru revenue, as Radio Guy mentioned.

He did not post that, he wrote Americans lose money, the teams playing overseas, definitely do not.