BRISTOL, Conn.-ESPN renewed rights to Major League Baseball across its many platforms through 2013 with an eight-year, $2.4 billion deal announced this week.
The pact builds on baseball’s current agreement with the cable giant and soon-to-be mobile virtual network operator, allowing ESPN to broadcast clips or possibly entire games on wireless phones and other platforms. ESPN Mobile is expected to launch early next year on the Sprint Nextel Corp. network.
While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, ESPN reportedly will pay nearly $300 million a year for regular-season rights to broadcast 80 games, up from the $196 million the network has paid annually for TV rights since 2002. The partnership also allows the network to show live cut-ins and highlights of games in progress during its “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight” programs, which could prove to be compelling draws for wireless users.
No postseason games are included in the package, however, and while ESPN will continue to offer All-Star-related programming such as the “Home Run Derby,” the All-Star game itself is not included.
“This caps a series of comprehensive, ‘new world’ agreements, clearly demonstrating that ESPN and Major League Baseball share the same vision-to serve fans through the highest quality content and cutting-edge technology,” said George Bondenheimer, president of ESPN.
