FACEBOOK IS PAYING Major League Baseball (MLB) at least $30M U.S. for the exclusive rights to stream 25 afternoon games in the U.S., marking the first time that a major U.S. sports league has given the social network exclusivity.
According to a Bloomberg report, the agreement begins with the April 4 game between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets, and all of the games will take place on weekday afternoons, primarily Wednesdays. MLB and Facebook will update the schedule on a monthly basis.
While the games will be produced by the MLB Network, Facebook’s rights allow for experimentation with things like social integration and graphics during the broadcast, enhancements popular with younger viewers drawn to digital platforms. Viewers will be able to watch on smartphones, tablets, computers and other connected devices, including home TVs.
Facebook will also have rights to show the baseball games globally, though they won’t be exclusive outside the U.S.
