ESPN will double the amount it pays to Major League Baseball for cable, radio and international rights in a new eight-year deal totaling $5.6 billion, according to multiple reports. The current deal, which runs through 2013, brings $350 million annually to MLB teams; the new deal ups that to $700 million. The new deal is […]
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Biscuits’ Davis to ESPN; Vargas is replacement
Montgomery Biscuits (Class AA; Southern League) broadcaster Joe Davis is joining ESPN in a full-time role, with broadcaster Aaron Vargas replacing him as the Voice of the Biscuits. Vargas, 23, joined the Biscuits for the 2012 season after two years as the Director of Marketing/P.R. for the Florida Collegiate Summer League, and four years as […]
New Yankee Stadium less intimidating? ESPN thinks so
The old Yankee Stadium was regarded by opposing players as one of the toughest places to compete. Today, it seems, the new Yankee Stadium is less than intimidating. In the old ballpark, fans could affect the outcome of a game, even when they lacked the ability to throw batteries from the right-field seats. Some well-placed […]
NBC vying for piece of MLB media-rights pie?
With the exclusive-bargaining window closed for its current media partners, Major League Baseball is reportedly fielding an offer from NBC Sports to join the broadcasting fold. Right now there are three MLB broadcast partners: Fox, paying $257.1 million for Saturday, All-Star and World Series games; ESPN, paying $306 million for Sunday night games; and Turner, […]
ESPN to broadcast every College World Series game
If you can’t make it to Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park for the College World Series, you can do the next best thing: watch it on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. For the 10th straight year ESPN will broadcast every College World Series game from TD Ameritrade Park, beginning Friday, June 15, and concluding with the […]
SEC tourney live and streaming
There’s some awfully good baseball being played at the annual SEC baseball tournament, and ESPN is streaming game coverage via the SEC website. The tourney, from Hoover’s Regions Park, is annually one of the better showcases for college talent anywhere: the SEC is pretty clearly the best conference in college baseball and its schools attracts […]
New fences at Citi Field not a big factor — yet
Bringing in the fences at Citi Field hasn’t made much of an impact in the home-run and pitching stats for the New York Mets and opponents, but the season is still young. As you’ll recall, the Mets made some changes to their outfield fences this offseason, bringing them in (particularly in the power alleys) and […]
St. Pete mayor: There’s nothing wrong with the Trop
The simmering debate over the worthiness of Tropicana Field as the home of the Tampa Bay Rays continues, as broadcaster John Kruk and manager Joe Maddon all take shots at the place, with St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster declaring it fit for MLB. The latest incidents: a bank of lights went out Monday night, causing […]
Why early-season attendance numbers don’t matter
ESPN took a shot at the New York Yankees today for suffering through an 9 percent drop in attendance through the first 11 games of the season when compared to 2010. Here’s why ESPN was totally wrong in the simplistic and misleading “analysis” of the numbers. For any MLB or MiLB team the first two […]
Regions Park to host ESPN documentary premiere on Michael Jordan
Regions Park, the home of the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League), will host the world premiere for ESPN Films’ Jordan Rides the Bus on Sunday, August 22 following the Barons game against the Huntsville Stars. The Ron Shelton documentary is a part of ESPN Films’ film series 30 for 30 and will debut on […]
Promotions Watch: Rock Cats bring in Jonas Brothers, ESPN for celebrity softball match
The New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) may have snared the ultimate in off-day promotions, as the Jonas Brothers — yes, those Jonas Brothers — will change their repertoire from hit singles to doubles, triples and home runs when their “Road Dogs” softball team takes on the ESPN “G.O.A.T.S,” a team of ESPN […]