MLB, Turner Renew Deal

Major League Baseball and Turner Sports are close to an agreement to renew their rights deal through 2028 at an average annual increase of 40%, Sports Business Journal reported on Saturday.

SBJ reported that Turner pays an average of $325 million per year under an eight-year deal that expires after 2021; the new deal would average $470 million and expire around the same time as Fox’s contract with MLB.

Turner will continue to show one League Championship Series, two Division Series and one wild-card game. Fox carries the other LCS and World Series. In the regular season, Turner’s current Sunday afternoon game will move to a weeknight, SBJ said.

Newsday notes the deal comes as MLB and its players' union continue to haggle over terms for a 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic and certain to be played without any gate revenue from fans. The financial logic of playing at all this season rests in revenue still coming in from national and local television contracts.