FOX and MLB’s long ball

FOX Sports and Major League Baseball have reached a new multi-year, multiplatform rights agreement that expands the network’s television, digital and Spanish-language rights for the next decade in a deal reported to be worth $5.1 billion. Highlights will see FOX Sports and FOX Deportes maintain the television rights to MLB’s jewel events, including serving as the exclusive television broadcast partner of the World Series, one League Championship Series, two Division Series and the All-Star Game while FOX Sports will expand its digital rights with expanded streaming, social media and highlight rights. Meanwhile, FOX Sports continues its Saturday regular-season broadcast windows – two per Saturday (52 total) – with highlights packages as well as MLB-centric programs and Spanish-language rights through FOX Deportes. Beginning in 2022, the amount of regular season and postseason games televised by the FOX broadcast network will increase.

“FOX Sports has been our national television partner for over 20 years and I could not be more pleased to announce the extension of our relationship through the 2028 season,” said Commissioner Rob Manfred. “We value FOX Sports’ commitment to baseball and are excited to continue our partnership with this new agreement. Their innovative presentation of Major League Baseball through game telecasts and special programming across all their platforms has helped strengthen and elevate our sports’ popularity.”

“Since we began our historic partnership with Major League Baseball more than 20 years ago, MLB games on FOX have provided some of the most iconic moments in American sports,” said Murdoch. “This significant multi-year agreement not only cements FOX’s role as Major League Baseball’s number one broadcast partner, it ensures that FOX will remain America’s leader in live sports well into the future.”

“Major League Baseball has been a cornerstone of FOX Sports since 1996,” said FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer, Eric Shanks. “It’s an honor to have shared countless historic moments with our viewers over the last 22 seasons. We are extremely proud to continue to be the home of Major League Baseball’s jewel events for the next decade.”

Meanwhile, MLB and sports streaming platform DAZN have agreed to a three-year live digital rights partnership in the United States, set to begin with the 2019 MLB regular season. The partnership will feature a live show each weeknight that will feature live look-ins to the best MLB action as it is happening. There also will be on-demand MLB content and live weekend wrap shows available to DAZN subscribers.

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