In Your Facebook: MLB Hits 2018 Season With Exclusive Live-Stream $30M Deal
NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service
March 13, 2018: Just days after extending and enhancing its alliance with social media platform YouTube TV, MLB and Facebook expanded their partnership for the 2018 MLB season, highlighted by what was called “a historic agreement to produce and broadcast one game every week to a global audience on Facebook.”
The 25-game package of weekly matinee broadcasts will be distributed exclusively on Facebook Watch in the United States via the MLB Live show page, MLB's first digital-only national broadcasts, which will be produced by MLB.
Every game will also be available globally on the show page (excluding select international markets).
Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed, but was put at $30-$35 million, which includes the live games, on-demand highlight packages for each game and weekly recaps of all 30 teams.
"This partnership with Facebook reflects the ongoing commitment of Major League Baseball and our clubs to connect with people around the world," Tony Petitti, deputy commissioner-business and media for MLB, said in a statement.
"It is a major creative step forward in serving our diverse, passionate community of fans, who will enjoy a uniquely interactive experience watching our games on Facebook each week."
MLB has been ramping up its alliances with social media platforms to reach more people in more venues, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube TV, which last year became the first presenting sponsor for the World Series in MLB history and just expanded that deal to include the 2018 and 2019 Fall Classics.
In 2017, MLB and Facebook joined to live-stream 20 games during the season as national simulcasts of each participating team's local TV broadcast.
The first scheduled Facebook Watch broadcast this season is the Philadelphia Phillies at the New York Mets on April 4 (1 PM ET).
Facebook Watch is available across supported devices, including mobile phones and connected TVs.
MLB Network said it would introduce in-game production elements specially designed for “intuitively watching, sharing and interacting on Facebook.”
As part of the pact, MLB will produce and distribute on Facebook Watch “specially curated content in addition to each live game broadcast, including on-demand highlight packages for every regular season game as well as club-specific weekly recap packages for all 30 MLB teams.”
According to Dan Reed, head of global sports partnerships for Facebook, ”We're excited to extend our partnership with Major League Baseball to make Facebook Watch a home for exclusive, live games every week this season.
“Community and conversation are central to both baseball and Facebook, and MLB Network's innovative broadcasts will bring these interactive and social elements of the game to life to fans around the world in new ways on our platform,” said Reed.
Facebook Watch April Schedule (subject to change):
April 4: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets 1 PM ET
April 11: Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals 1 PM ET
April 18: Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4 PM ET
April 26: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies 1 PM ET
MLB, YouTube TV Extend World Series Deal
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