White Sox turn stellar double play
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Forbes
a few seconds ago
- Forbes
ESPN Set To Grab MLB.TV, Some Local Games In Latest Big Streaming Deal
On the day ESPN is launching its much-awaited $30/month streaming app comes reports the Worldwide Leader is locking up digital rights to out-of-market games now carried on and local games for five franchises. ESPN would become baseball's primary digital distributor for out-of-market games for the next three years. Disney-owned ESPN had walked away from a $550-million-a-year deal with Major League Baseball earlier in the year that covered a national game of the week, despite years building up its Sunday-night cablecast into something of a TV sports institution. The current deal between the two sides include up to 12 first-round playoff games and the Home Run Derby that precedes the All-Star Game in July. This deal represents a very different sort of animal, with what's now carried on becoming part of the new ESPN subscription streaming app that launched today. Importantly, the deal also covers local rights for five smaller MLB franchises – Cleveland, San Diego, Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado – that have struggled to find adequate home-town video distribution since the collapse of most regional sports networks amid cable cord-cutting. Such RSN deals typically represented the second- or third-biggest check a smaller franchise might receive in a year, and the loss of RSN deals has punished the finances of numerous smaller franchises. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been trying to shift the league's video rights to a more centralized approach, but has faced strong pushback from some of the most successful and prominent franchises in the game, including the New York Yankees and Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. The two sides have a 'framework agreement," according to New York Times-owned The Athletic, that also would include about 30 games a year on ESPN's cable home, though on a different night than Sunday, beginning next season after the current game-of-the-week deal between the two sides expires. The deal is not expected to be finalized until September. If approved as reported, it would all represent another seismic shift in the sports streaming business, especially for ESPN as it seeks to dominate the fractured environment for the most valuable content on live television. Disney and minority co-owner Hearst swapped a 10-percent ownership stake in ESPN in exchange for NFL Media assets such as the NFL Network, fan-beloved RedZone and its official fantasy sports operation. ESPN also got rights to three additional NFL games a year. And last year, ESPN and ABC were winning bidders on the biggest package of NBA TV rights for the contract that takes effect this fall. Amazon and Comcast-owned NBC and Peacock also grabbed shares of rights, beating out long-time partner Warner Bros. Discovery. Also launching today is Fox's sports-heavy streaming app Fox One, which for $19.99 a month provides access to programming from its broadcast operations, Fox Sports, Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel. It is more of a general-interest app designed to appeal to Fox fans, but programming will include NFL, college Big 10 football and basketball, MLB, Nascar and more sports. ESPN has been heavily criticized this week in some quarters after it ended a deal with Oscar-winning writer/director Spike Lee to develop a multi-part documentary about Colin Kaepernick, the Black quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who became a civil rights symbol while earning the enmity of conservatives for kneeling during the National Anthem at the start of games. He later couldn't find a job in the league, and sued. Critics noted the decision to kill the doc came after the NFL gained a share of ownership in ESPN, which Disney executives have denied was cause for the deal's cancellation.
Newsweek
a few seconds ago
- Newsweek
Red Sox Draft Buzz: Boston Predicted To Add Five-Tool Star Catcher
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Boston Red Sox have a lot to be excited about, both this year and in the future. They're the perfect mix of young talent and veteran stars to push for a World Series in 2025 as well as for the next five or six years. But Boston's farm system might get even stronger in the next year or two. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently predicted the Red Sox would select Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Detail view of a baseball bat weight with a Boston Red Sox logo against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 28, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland.... BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Detail view of a baseball bat weight with a Boston Red Sox logo against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 28, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. More Brandon Sloter/Image"After logging just 103 plate appearances as a freshman and struggling in the Northwoods League, Lackey turned in a breakout sophomore season, hitting .347/.421/.500 with 21 extra-base hits and 18 steals," Reuter wrote. "He is also a polished defender behind the plate and was the catcher for the Collegiate National Team this summer, putting him in position to be the first backstop off the board in 2026." The Red Sox desperately need to add another young catcher to their farm system and eventually to their big league club. After trading Kyle Teel to the Chicago White Sox in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster move, the Red Sox have leaned on players like Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong. By drafting a potential five-tool prospect like Lackey, the Red Sox would effectively replace Teel in their farm system with their first-round pick in 2026. Obviously, it's nearly impossible to accurately predict how a college player will transition to the big leagues, but Lackey has all the tools to be successful at the highest level. This would be a dream selection for Boston. More MLB: Yankees' Aaron Boone Sends 3-Word Giancarlo Stanton Message Amid Surge
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MLB, ESPN reportedly reach agreement for network to obtain rights to sell out-of-market games, ability to offer MLB.TV
ESPN and MLB are reportedly close to an agreement that would allow the network to carry and the rights to all out-of-market baseball games — and select in-market baseball games — according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. The reported deal, which has not been signed yet, would give ESPN the ability to offer to fans as part of the network's newly-launched direct-to-consumer streaming service. ESPN officially announced that service Thursday. It's unclear exactly if — or how — the agreement will change how fans currently access per Marchand. But the network could require fans to have an ESPN direct-to-consumer subscription to get access to From The Athletic: It is not fully clear yet if out-of-market subscribers who pay for the package through cable or other linear subscription would still be able to receive that way. For digital consumers, fans are likely to need an ESPN direct-to-consumer subscription to go along with The overall new pricing for is not yet decided. In addition to that, ESPN would also obtain the rights to every out-of-network MLB game. That's essentially what already provides to customers, as the service offers out-of-network games to fans. But it would also presumably allow ESPN to sell rights for certain out-of-network games to other networks or subscription services. Events such as the Home Run Derby or "Sunday Night Baseball" could be sold to other networks by ESPN, which has previously held broadcast rights for those events. The network could also presumably sell any random out-of-market game to, as an example, Apple TV+. It's unclear if that's what the network has in mind if the deal goes through. ESPN is still expected to broadcast roughly 30 regular-season games per year, according to Marchand. Those games would presumably be available on the network, and not exclusive to its direct-to-consumer offering. As part of the deal, ESPN will also control in-network games for five MLB teams: the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Local fans who want to watch those teams would likely have to go through ESPN's direct-to-consumer service. In addition to owning a subscription to that service — which costs $29.99 per month — the network could charge in-network consumers an additional fee to watch their favorite team's games. The reported agreement comes after a months-long feud between MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and ESPN. In February, ESPN decided to opt out of its partnership with the league following the 2025 MLB season. Manfred ripped the network a month later, saying he felt the league was "being treated disrespectfully" by ESPN. It appears those issues are now water under the bridge if Thursday's reported agreement comes to pass. Should the agreement go through, it would reportedly last for three years, per Marchand. MLB reportedly wants all of its broadcast rights to expire in 2029, allowing it to make a massive payday by auctioning off those rights to the highest bidder or bidders.
