MLB is opening up the streaming market, per Thomas Barrabi of Fox Business. Each team will now be allowed to sell its streaming rights to local markets prior to the 2020 season. The change marks another point in the slow but inevitable shift from broadcast to digital. Teams are still beholden to contractual agreements with regional sports networks, but the change will eventually empower teams with a potentially impactful degree of agency. The return of digital rights to the franchises themselves also ought to help the sport expand its digital footprint and allow for streaming on further platforms such as Amazon and YouTube, who enjoyed a successful partnership with MLB last season.
- It may be the trade action that butters our bread here at MLB Trade Rumors, but for Major League Baseball itself, the Winter Meetings are an important venue for discussion of an array of league issues. Yesterday, for instance, MLB met with minor league reps for the first of many sessions negotiating the proposed new structure for the minor league system, per David Waldstein of the NY Times. The proposal on the table calls for large-scale retraction, which unsurprisingly does not sit well with minor league owners. There’s much progress to be made, and this will hardly be the last time these two sides meet to discuss this issue. MLB cannot force the retraction, but the current contract runs out in September, by which time the two sides hope to have a new agreement in place – though that’s hardly a sure thing.
- Changes are coming to the KBO, per Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net (via Twitter). The Korean Baseball Organization Players’ Association voted to shorten the amount of service time needed to reach free agency from nine years to eight years for players entering out of high school and from eight years to seven years for those entering from college, per Yonhap News Agency. Another change apropos to those free agents still looking for clubs, the KBO will now allow three foreign players to appear in the same game. Presently, teams can roster three foreign players, but only two were allowed to appear in the same game. The change could embolden teams to be more aggressive in their pursuit of foreign players, especially given the success of a player like Josh Lindblom, who plans to return stateside after an MVP-winning season in the KBO. Other changes include the raising of the minimum salary and the implementation of an injured list. The KBOPA differs from the MLBPA in that it is not a union, though clearly, the leagues struggle with many of the same sticking points in negotiations with players.
Because of the MASN lawsuit the Orioles entering the streaming market will probably be years. The only reason I still pay for cable is MASN to watch Os games. I can’t wait until I can start streaming and completely get rid of cable.
Maybe you should stop watching O’s instead go to NATS ! At least for the next 5 yrs. /Rebuild
MASN carries them too.
So what does that mean for those of us who pay for mlb tv on the app. I am a Padres fan in Ohio and that’s the only way I can watch my team
no local blackout? or do i have to create multiple vpn just to watch angels play?
It won’t mean anything. It’ll be the same for you. It’ll only affect in-market streaming.
How soon do the current regional TV contracts expire? Aren’t we still looking at 5-10 years for this streaming thing to become an actual option for teams?
Blackout rules are why MLB isn’t popular with younger people. Period. Stop this nonsense.
It bothers us boomers, too. Especially if the blackout is because of the game being shown on Facebook (which I refuse to join) or YouTube (which has the most boring announcers ever).
Blackouts bother us old folks, too, especially when they’re caused by games being exclusive to FB (I refuse to join) and YT (terrible announcers).
I live in SoKal and pay for the Premium streaming package through mlb, and expect to be able to see all my Tribe games.
Does anyone in the New England area know if this finally means I can stream Red Sox games through the NESN go app? It’s been incredibly frustrating paying for the cable service that has a an associated streaming app that still has the games blacked out on it.
I hope Yankee fans can adjust to YES telecasting every game between the Bronx Bombers and the Tigers, Royals and O’s, and having to buy a Prime subscription to watch them play the Red Sox, Rays and Astros.
That Bezos fella is pretty bright, they tell me…..
The KBO didn’t have an injured list before? Ouch.
No “ouchies” yet, but changes are a comin’!
Another MLBTR writer who uses too many commas. Great.
Pulp Fiction Voice: Say Josh Lindbloom one more time!
So
I just hear if you want to watch… expect to pay more
The “contraction” thing with MiLB may be just a bit of hot air. Minor league have been trying for a decade to get MLB teams to increase the amounts paid to them in Player Development Contracts. Yes, the contracts are individually negotiated, but there are general guidelines (aka “collusion”) that everybody usually follows.
MLB has everything on their side; no city has a constitutional right to have a minor league team. I suspect there might be minor retraction (the Advanced Rookie leagues are kind of useless, but they’re owned by MLB teams for the most part anyway). And there’s no doubt having all your 18 year old prospects in the same place is more efficient.
MLB teams have to find a way to cut Player Development costs if franchise growth continues to slow, which seems inevitable. It’s a grossly inefficient system, using about 20M a year, and if you develop a “meh” positional player and a fourth starter, you’ve had a GREAT year; most times, you don’t even get that.
I heard they wanted to eliminate 40 teams, which would mean all the short season leagues. Except the Arizona and Florida ones that take place at the Spring Training sites. There was also talk of going to a 20 round draft.
I don’t know what business model would work to allow in-market fans to stream local games live without having a cable subscription, but we’re obviously in the early stages of finding that out now.
The times they are a-digitizin’