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MLB, Turner Sports Reach Billion-Dollar Deal To Broadcast LCS

By George Miller | June 13, 2020 at 5:17pm CDT

5:17PM: The new broadcast contract covers the 2022-2028 seasons, with Turner Sports paying roughly $470MM per season, as per John Ourand and Eric Prisbell of Sports Business Daily.  In addition to the one LCS, Turner will also have the rights to two Division Series and one wild card game per year.  This is notable given that expanded playoffs have been a prominent part of negotiations between players and owners for the 2020 and possibly the 2021 season as well.  “The expectation is that this deal does not include rights to any additional playoff games, which would have to be negotiated separately,” Ourand and Prisbell write.

4:23PM: MLB has reached an agreement on a billion-dollar deal with Turner Sports that will allow the network to continue broadcasting a postseason package that includes one League Championship Series, reports Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. Though the length and precise terms of the deal remain unknown, it’s expected to be a considerable increase over the $350MM Turner had been paying annually under their current agreement.

The two sides have agreed to a deal in principle, but it is not finalized and has not yet been voted on for approval by the owners.

The network’s current deal expires following the 2021 season, so it will remain in place for this season with the new deal’s term beginning a few years from now.

While the deal itself is no doubt notable for the sport, its announcement comes at an awkward time for the league, given the state of negotiations between the owners and the players. And although the consummation of a new contract won’t have any real ramifications on this season in particular (it won’t kick in until 2022), the sheer value of the TV revenue on tap may cast doubt on MLB’s stance that it would be unable to shoulder revenue losses with no fans in the stands this year—especially in light of Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt’s claims that baseball “isn’t very profitable.”

In negotiations between the players’ association and MLB, owners have been insistent on offering players less than their full prorated salaries, a concession that the players have thus far been unwilling to accept. Needless to say, this development doesn’t strengthen the league’s posture. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the parties can come to an agreement that puts 2020 baseball back on the menu.

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Comments

  1. thorshair

    10 months ago

    What a waste of money considering there isn’t going to be a LCS

    1 Like
    Reply
    • davidk1979

      10 months ago

      This deal takes effect after this year

      Like
      Reply
      • looongball

        10 months ago

        Another HORRIBLY bad Manfred idea. Most Americans don’t have access to every cable network. Manfred has no respect for the fans and the major networks don’t care.

        Like
        Reply
        • JtS12

          10 months ago

          Most Americans have access to cable or some sort of streaming service like Hulu or YouTube TV or Sling. I believe the Turner channels can all be streamed through those platforms. How else would you suggest broadcasting the games?

          Like
          Reply
        • Questionable_Source

          10 months ago

          You’re right. If someone offers him $3BIL to set up cameras on a baseball field, Manfred should tell them to go $#@! themselves.

          Like
          Reply
    • jorge78

      10 months ago

      I’m sure there is a
      “no play, no pay”
      clause…..

      Like
      Reply
      • looiebelongsinthehall

        10 months ago

        Agreed. All future negotiations for anything live has to have changed.

        Like
        Reply
    • Kayrall

      10 months ago

      This is bad for baseball if it’s a cable network.

      Like
      Reply
      • terry

        10 months ago

        TBS is a cable network.

        Like
        Reply
      • davidk1979

        10 months ago

        They’ve been on cable for decades

        Like
        Reply
      • JtS12

        10 months ago

        I think you can still stream TBS and TNT through some of the streaming services like Hulu. Not positive but if so it shouldn’t be too big a deal. People could watch through their cable or through Hulu, YouTube TV, etc.

        Like
        Reply
    • wordonthestreet

      10 months ago

      Try reading the article first Thorshair

      1 Like
      Reply
      • HaloHonk4Life

        10 months ago

        Typical Mets fan, clueless

        Like
        Reply
  2. jeterleader

    10 months ago

    now we’re getting somewhere….. I think

    Like
    Reply
  3. davidk1979

    10 months ago

    So much for being an owner not being the profitable amirite Bill Dewitt?

    3 Like
    Reply
    • KCJ

      10 months ago

      Excellent! The Ricketts family will finally be able to eat 3 meals a day!

      5 Like
      Reply
    • knuck2

      10 months ago

      So, a billion will pay Trout, Harper and Strasburg?

      1 Like
      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        10 months ago

        …who are not on the same team

        2 Like
        Reply
      • natsgm

        10 months ago

        “expected to be a considerable increase over the $350MM Turner had been paying annually”. Man i didnt know those three each made $100 million a year

        1 Like
        Reply
      • HaloHonk4Life

        10 months ago

        Over 12 years

        Like
        Reply
    • Questionable_Source

      10 months ago

      Assuming an equal split, that’s $15.6M, which is way more than the cardinals payroll, amirite?

      Like
      Reply
  4. Ricky Adams

    10 months ago

    Love it when ppl comment, and it’s obvious by comment they didnt even read article.

    5 Like
    Reply
  5. jb226

    10 months ago

    Any time you hear something like “not very profitable,” simply be aware of how easy it is to bury profit.

    2 Like
    Reply
    • rookiegreg

      10 months ago

      Simply be aware that “not very profitable” is a relative term. From his POV it might not be that great. He didnt say “we don’t make any money”

      Like
      Reply
      • jorge78

        10 months ago

        Rich people always think
        the glass is half full…..

        Like
        Reply
      • drtymike0509

        10 months ago

        Exactly, less profit doesn’t mean no profit at all.

        Like
        Reply
        • b-rar

          10 months ago

          If they can cover the players’ salaries and also keep the lights on, they should pay them. Why should anyone be ok with owners helping themselves to a share of the money they already agreed to pay just because they’re not pocketing quite as much profit as they would have if not for the virus?

          Like
          Reply
      • looongball

        10 months ago

        If they want fans back, open the books.

        Like
        Reply
    • A'sfaninLondonUK

      10 months ago

      @jb226

      Divided by 30 owners and assuming firstly it’s in $100 dollar bills and secondly they use the Manfred patented “piece of metal” shovel, in approximately 46 minutes the whole lot will be buried and will re-appear as a loss due to the cost of materials.

      1 Like
      Reply
      • johnrealtime

        10 months ago

        Love this comment

        Like
        Reply
  6. Perksy

    10 months ago

    Damn that stinks. TBS has the worst coverage. Their broadcasts the sound is drowned out from the crowd in all the games.

    Like
    Reply
    • coachtim

      10 months ago

      Good let the fans drown out Smoltz. He breaks down every pitch of game

      Like
      Reply
      • Appalachian_Outlaw

        10 months ago

        So you’re upset over an analyst… um… providing too much analysis?…

        What would you prefer he talk about? Lol.

        Like
        Reply
  7. mike156

    10 months ago

    Repeat after me, “It’s good to own a baseball team.”

    1 Like
    Reply
    • braveshomer

      10 months ago

      ‘Its good to own a baseball team’….extremely good lol !

      1 Like
      Reply
  8. Rob Black

    10 months ago

    Good. Time for the owners to give enough to get season started!

    1 Like
    Reply
    • youngTank15

      10 months ago

      Too much nonsense going on now for sports.

      Like
      Reply
  9. braveshomer

    10 months ago

    Wow! Worst timing ever to announce this…How dumb can the owners be to do this now whilst claiming poverty. Just lost all leverage and here comes a stupid 48 game season smh…

    5 Like
    Reply
    • drtymike0509

      10 months ago

      I was thinking the same thing. Funny how things work, or a lack of reasoning may be to blame instead…

      Like
      Reply
    • HaloHonk4Life

      10 months ago

      It doesn’t take effect the second it’s announced

      Like
      Reply
    • wild bill tetley

      10 months ago

      This is on Manfred.

      Like
      Reply
  10. kreckert

    10 months ago

    But the sport is not profitable…

    Yeah. Right.

    Like
    Reply
    • HaloHonk4Life

      10 months ago

      They said not as profitable. Not that wasn’t profitiable

      Like
      Reply
  11. insidethepark9

    10 months ago

    So TR isn’t going to cover the Yankees story….interesting.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • SalaryCapMyth

      10 months ago

      You know that’s pretty new stuff coming out. You think the ink can dry on the paper before you get annoyed with MLBTR writers for not getting an article out yet?

      1 Like
      Reply
      • JD396

        10 months ago

        Wait a week and it turns into “Geez not another MLBTR post about this Yankees story”

        Like
        Reply
  12. toycannon

    10 months ago

    Ugh. More Ernie Johnson.

    Like
    Reply
    • Perksy

      10 months ago

      That’s what I say, he is awful. Plus TBS you can’t hear the crowd, it sounds like games are taped when they broadcast.

      Like
      Reply
      • HaloHonk4Life

        10 months ago

        You said earlier the crowd was too loud. Make up your mind

        2 Like
        Reply
        • ukpadre

          10 months ago

          But if he plays both sides he gets to whine double!

          2 Like
          Reply
  13. CardsNation5

    10 months ago

    I wonder when that letter about The Yankees stealing signs will open. Mlb hid it.

    Like
    Reply
  14. NY_Yankee

    10 months ago

    I look at this a different way. Just imagine the players and owners came to an agreement to play in 2020, and this came out later on? You could guarantee a strike when the CBA ended.

    Like
    Reply
    • 920kodiak

      10 months ago

      Excellent point.

      Like
      Reply
  15. coachtim

    10 months ago

    Good now even more commercials to pay for it. 10 mins between half innings. Just what we wanted. ⚾️⚾️. 5.5 hour games

    Like
    Reply
  16. Iknowmorebaseball

    10 months ago

    Boy does DeWitt sound like a shyster saying it’s not profitable owning a major league baseball team. I would expect that from Cardinals

    Like
    Reply
    • CardsNation5

      10 months ago

      I love it when fans try and down the Cardinals. Jealousy and envy will get you nowhere

      Like
      Reply
    • HaloHonk4Life

      10 months ago

      He never said it not profitable. He said not AS. Profitable

      Like
      Reply
  17. bravos4evr

    10 months ago

    $4m more per team

    Not so much when you break it down like that.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • pdxbrewcrew

      10 months ago

      Not even enough for a decent relief pitcher.

      Like
      Reply
  18. 920kodiak

    10 months ago

    Don’t teams make the bulk of their money from whatever regional sports network they either own or from broadcast rights fees. Well, except the Nationals, I guess.

    Like
    Reply
    • JD396

      10 months ago

      The local and national media deals total up to about half the league’s revenue.

      Like
      Reply
  19. okinnitram

    10 months ago

    Seriously, this is not the deal that they should have finalizing today. Tone deaf on MLB imo

    Like
    Reply
  20. Wrek305

    10 months ago

    How about focusing on getting baseball this season by any means necessary.

    Like
    Reply
    • youngTank15

      10 months ago

      Unrest everywhere, police being disbanded or resigning, autonomous countries being created and not to mention the second wave of the virus. Not the time for sports.

      Like
      Reply
  21. Doug Dueck

    10 months ago

    Manfred and MLB take their chunk out of this annual payment too. I do wonder how much of the annual payment does actually go to each team.

    Like
    Reply
    • HubcapDiamondStarHalo

      10 months ago

      Each team gets eighteen dollars and change. Owning a baseball team isn’t all that profitable.

      Like
      Reply
    • AtlSoxFan

      10 months ago

      You mean to imply MLB has costs and employees beyond what each team does? Thats it’s not just the teams plus 2 MLB figureheads?

      Blasphemy!

      That means MLBPA’s position that all revenue goes to each team every season isn’t true, and undercuts Tony Clark’s demands!

      This cannot be allowed to stand!

      Next I expect you’re going to try to get me to believe that teams have more expenses than just player payroll, or that each franchise doesn’t earn 300 million in pure profit per season???

      Like
      Reply
  22. JD396

    10 months ago

    Like there’s gonna be an LCS

    Like
    Reply
  23. Big Hurt

    10 months ago

    “The expectation is that this deal does not include rights to any additional playoff games, which would have to be negotiated separately,” Ourand and Prisbell write.
    That is, of course, unless the MLBPA association is involved, to which they can be heard whimpering “BUT WE HAD A DEAL!!!”

    Like
    Reply
  24. pjmcnu

    10 months ago

    Tell us again how owning a baseball team isn’t profitable, Bill DeWitt? Or does this money go to Cards TV Rights LLC, so you just don’t count it as “St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Club” money?

    Like
    Reply

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