http://tracking.si.com/2012/08/28/espn-mlb-broadcast-rights-deal/?sct=mlb_t2_a4 Report: ESPN, MLB agree to $5.6 billion broadcast rights deal ESPN and Major League Baseball have agreed to a new eight-year, $5.6 billion broadcast rights deal, reports John Ourand in SportsBusiness Daily. The deal will allow ESPN to carry a Wild Card game and feature popular teams such as the New York Yankees more often, Ourand reports. The cost is “approximately double” the $306 million per year ESPN pays MLB to broadcast games, Ourand reports. ESPN’s also increases its digital and international rights in the deal. The network will maintain its schedule of showing games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday each week.
ESPN also picked up rights to carry games featuring more popular teams, like the Yankees and Red Sox, more frequently. As if we didn't get enough Yankees and Red Sox before, ha.
No kidding. The Sunday night package is really just a rotation of half a dozen teams or so already...Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Angels, Braves, Rangers....there's a good chance that on any given week, the Sunday night game involves one of those teams.
