MP & Silva to distribute World Baseball Classic

The MP & Silva agency has agreed a deal to distribute the worldwide rights, excluding the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Japan, to the 2013 World Baseball Classic tournament.

The deal was agreed with World Baseball Classic Inc, a partnership between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

MP & Silva market rights across cable, satellite, terrestrial, IPTV, internet and mobile platforms for the international baseball tournament in which 28 countries will compete.

MP & Silva will distribute the rights to 24 qualifying matches and 39 matches from the main tournament itself. The qualifying round, a new addition to the World Baseball Classic as the tournament expands from 16 to 28 nations, will take place in September and November this year, with matches taking place in Germany, Panama, Taiwan and the US. Venues in the US will also host some of the matches from the main tournament.

The 2009 World Baseball Classic was shown by 60 broadcasters across 220 territories.