Baseball
MLB’s Diamondbacks land billion-dollar rights deal – report
Major League Baseball team the Arizona Diamondbacks has agreed a billion-dollar extension to its local rights deal with regional sports network Fox Sports Arizona, according to the Arizona Republic.
MLB and Fox in talks to lift streaming blackouts – report
Major League Baseball is in talks with Fox that would result in streamed games from the US network’s regional sports broadcasters provided without blackouts, according to the Forbes website.
BT Sport extends ESPN relationship
BT Sport and sports broadcaster ESPN have signed a seven-year agreement to expand the range of ESPN content available on the platforms of the UK pay-television broadcaster.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From December 11 to January 14
Media rights clips from December 11 to January 14.
Chicago Cubs align local rights deals with new WGN-TV contract
Major League Baseball franchise the Chicago Cubs has signed a new five-year local rights deal with cable-television broadcaster WGN-TV.
Cubs strike local rights deal
WLS-TV/ABC7 Chicago, a local television station owned by the ABC network in the US, has acquired rights to games featuring Major League Baseball franchise the Chicago Cubs.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From November 27 to December 10
Media rights clips from November 27 to December 10
US networks and agencies team up to fight college athletes’ class action suit
US networks CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC, along with the IMG and WME agencies, have joined forces to apply for the dismissal of a legal action brought by a group of college American football and basketball players, claiming it would mean “chaos” for sports broadcasting.
McGlarry takes top job at MLB Network
Major League Baseball has confirmed the appointment of Rob McGlarry as the new president of its MLB Network pay-television service.
MP & Silva strikes deal for WBSC’s new flagship event
The MP & Silva agency has acquired the exclusive global media and sponsorship rights for the first two editions of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier 12 tournament.
Root Sports Houston granted clearance to launch
Satellite-television provider DirecTV and telecommunications company AT&T have been granted permission to launch Root Sports Houston, a new US network that will provide coverage of Houston Astros MLB baseball and Houston Rockets NBA basketball games, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper.
Court ruling to result in new network for Astros and Rockets games
Houston Astros MLB baseball and Houston Rockets NBA basketball games will be provided to a much wider television audience after a judge approved a bankruptcy reorganisation plan involving the two teams’ local rights-holder, Comcast SportsNet Houston.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From October 16 to 29
Media rights clips from October 16 to 29
MLB’s Diamondbacks close in on extension of local rights deal
Major League Baseball franchise the Arizona Diamondbacks is close to extending its regional rights deal with Fox Sports Arizona, the local affiliate of Fox Sports Networks, according to the Azcentral.com news website.
World Series sets streaming first for MLB
Major League Baseball has set a new broadcast milestone with the 2014 World Series becoming the first edition of the season-ending showpiece to be live streamed.
Fox Sports to provide MLB showpiece in Netherlands
Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports has acquired the rights to baseball’s MLB World Series in the Netherlands.
BeIN Sports strikes deal for MLB World Series
French pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has increased its portfolio of North American major league rights by acquiring the exclusive rights to the 2014 World Series, the championship series of Major League Baseball.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From September 4 to September 17
Media rights clips from September 4 to 17