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MLB linked with new media rights deal after ESPN abruptly pulled out of $550m-a-year contract
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THE MLB has been linked with a new media rights deal from a major network following ESPN's recent breakup with the league.
ESPN opted out of its deal to broadcast Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and the wild-card round of the MLB players after the 2025 season.
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On Monday, it was revealed that Fox could be looking to pick up ESPN's old deal.
Fox Corporation COO John Nallen revealed that the network will be eyeing the MLB TV contract.
He revealed that the changing landscape in baseball has caused them to consider adding coverage of the sport when asked if the network was interested in acquiring any sports rights soon.
"I think that will come to market in some form will be some baseball product, particularly after baseball and ESPN announced that after the season their relationship would change," Nallen said at the Deutsche Bank Media Internet & Telcom Conference.
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"Baseball has been a great product for us," he added, "and we'll probably look at that and look at it in the context of how it makes sense to us overall."
Fox has the biggest MLB rights package, worth around $729 million per season.
The deal includes the World Series, a League Championship Series, early-round playoff games, a big set of regular-season games, and the All-Star Game.
However, Fox hasn't emerged as a top contender for ESPN's baseball package.
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It's been reported by Puck that the MLB has been talking with companies like NBC, Amazon, and Netflix to pickup either a few or all of the rights from ESPN's deal.
There has yet to be a front-runner for the coveted contract.
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But NBC is an interesting potential suitor as Front Office Sports reported last week that the network is interested in broadcasting the MLB due to the fact they could have a premium live sports event on Sunday nights throughout the year.
NBC has had success with Sunday Night Football and will also have games in place after each NFL season ends.
And the network has a history with MLB.
NBC and MLB were partners from 1947 to 1989 and 1994 to 2000.
MLB could then cover the summer months before the NFL is broadcast.
Nonetheless, Rob Manfred's league will look to recover $550 million in lost rights payments from ESPN's opt-out.
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The league could split up ESPN's old package and hand different events to multiple new rights partners.
Still, Fox's current relationship with the MLB and Nallen's latest comments could help the network's chances of receiving even more live TV rights.