Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Report: MLB, ESPN Reach New Deal


ESPN has agreed to a deal that locks down Major League Baseball rights into the next decade, according to SportsBusiness Daily.

The eight-year deal is worth $5.6 billion (an average of $700 million per year), approximately doubling the nearly $306 million ESPN currently pays MLB every year for domestic TV rights.

The new deal adds in digital, international and radio, for which ESPN is paying MLB around $50 million currently, sources said. Sources added the deal will be announced as soon as this afternoon.

As part of the deal, which runs through 2021, ESPN retains the rights to "Sunday Night Baseball," its Monday and Wednesday night games and highlights for "Baseball Tonight."

ESPN also will carry one wild card playoff game, sources said. In its current deal, ESPN does not have rights to any MLB playoffs.

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