Major League Baseball television contracts

Baseball Firsts

1930s

The first-ever televised baseball game was on May 17, 1939 between Princeton and Columbia; Princeton beat Columbia 2-1 at Columbia's Baker Field. The contest was aired on W2XBS, an experimental station in New York City which would ultimately become WNBC-TV.

Related Topics:
May 17 - 1939 - Princeton - Columbia - Baker Field - New York City - WNBC-TV

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On August 26 of the same year, the first ever Major League Baseball game was televised (once again on W2XBS). With Red Barber announcing, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds played a doubleheader at Ebbets Field. The Reds won the first 5-2 while the Dodgers won the second, 6-1. Barber called the game without the benefit of a monitor and with only two cameras capturing the game. One camera was on Barber and the other was behind the plate. Barber had to guess from which light was on and where it pointed.

Related Topics:
August 26 - Major League Baseball - Red Barber - Brooklyn Dodgers - Cincinnati Reds - Ebbets Field

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1940s

By 1947, television sets (most with five and seven-inch screens) were selling almost as fast as they could be produced. Because of this, Major League teams began televising games and attracted a whole new audience in to ballparks in the process. This was because, people who had only casually followed baseball began going to the games in person and enjoying themselves. As a result, the following year, Major League attendence reached a record high of 21 million.

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1947 also saw the first televised World Series. The games were shown in the New York area by NBC and sponsored by Gillette and Ford.

Related Topics:
World Series - New York - NBC - Gillette - Ford

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On April 16, 1948, Chicago's WGN-TV broadcast its first big-league game, with Jack Brickhouse calling the White Sox' 4-1 defeat of the Cubs in an exhibition game at Wrigley Field. WGN televised each Cubs and White Sox home game live. According to Brickhouse, "It worked because the Cubs and White Sox weren't home at the same time. You aired the Sox at Comiskey, or Cubs at Wrigley Field." Daytime scheduling gave the Cubs a decided edge, as "Wrigley didn't have lights, so kids came home from school, had a sandwich, and turned the TV on."

Related Topics:
April 16 - 1948 - WGN-TV - Jack Brickhouse - White Sox - Cubs - Wrigley Field

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When the Boston Braves won the National League pennant in 1948 and drew 1.46 million fans, they decided to sell the television rights to all of their home games for the next two years. They also had television coverage for most of their home games through the 1952 season, all for the sum of $40,000. The Braves figured that the televising of home games and fueled interest in the team in the first place. By the time the Braves' television contract ran out, their home attendance had fallen 81%. Apparently, fans had decided that they preferred to watch the games on television than go to the ballpark. In 1953, when baseball's attendance shrunk to 14 million paying customers, the Braves moved to Milwaukee and refused all offers to televise home games.

Related Topics:
Boston Braves - 1952 - 1953 - Milwaukee

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1950s

On July 11, 1950, the All-Star Game out of Chicago's Comiskey Park was televised for the first time. On November 8, 1950, Commissioner Happy Chandler and player reps agreed on the split of the TV-radio rights from the World Series. A few weeks later, Gillette signed a 6 year deal, worth an estimated $6 million, with Major League Baseball for the TV-radio rights for the World Series.

Related Topics:
July 11 - 1950 - All-Star Game - Chicago - Comiskey Park - November 8 - Happy Chandler - World Series - Radio - World Series

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On August 11, 1951, WCBS-TV in New York City televised the first baseball game (in which the Boston Braves beat the Brooklyn Dodgers by the score of 8-1) in color. On October 3 of that year NBC aired the first coast-to-coast baseball telecast as the Brooklyn Dodgers were beaten by the New York Giants in the final game of a playoff series by the score of 3-1 (off Bobby Thomson's now-legendary home run).

Related Topics:
August 11 - 1951 - WCBS-TV - New York City - Boston Braves - Color - October 3 - Brooklyn Dodgers - New York Giants - Playoff - Bobby Thomson

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On January 31, 1953, the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox joined forces against St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck. The respective franchises tried to force to Browns to play afternoon games in an attempt to avoid having to share television revenues. A month later, Major League Baseball owners received a warning from Senator Edwin Johnson about nationally televising their games. Johnson's theory was that nationally televising baseball games would be a threat to the survival of minor league baseball. The owners pretty much ignored Johnson since the games on NBC in particular, were gaining a large and loyal following.

Related Topics:
January 31 - 1953 - New York Yankees - Cleveland Indians - Boston Red Sox - St. Louis Browns - Bill Veeck - Edwin Johnson - Minor league baseball - NBC

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Also in 1953, ABC-TV executive Edgar Scherick broached a Saturday Game of the Week-TV sport's first network series. At the time, ABC was labeled a "nothing network" that had fewer outlets than CBS or NBC. ABC also need paid programming or "anything for bills" as Scherick put it. At first, ABC hesitated at the idea of a nationally televised regular season baseball program. ABC wondered how exactly the Game of the Week would reach television in the first place and who would notice if it did?

Related Topics:
ABC - CBS

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In April 1953, Edgar Scherick set out to sell teams rights but instead, only got the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox to sign on. To make matters worse, Major League Baseball barred the Game of the Week from airing within 50 miles of any ballpark. Major League Baseball according to Scherick, insisted on protecting local coverage and didn't care about national appeal. ABC though, did care about the national appeal and claimed that "most of America was still up for grabs."

Related Topics:
April 1953 - Philadelphia Athletics

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In 1953, ABC earned a 11.4 rating for their Game of the Week telecasts. Blacked-out cities had 32% of households. In the rest of the United States, 3 in 4 TV sets in use watched Dizzy Dean call the games for ABC.

Related Topics:
Rating - Dizzy Dean

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By 1955, Dizzy Dean and the Game of the Week would move to CBS. "CBS' stakes were higher" said Bud Blattner, who left Mutual to rejoin Dean. Ron Powers wrote about the reteaming of Dean and Blattner "They wanted someone who'd known Diz, could bring him out." Also in 1955, NBC would televise the first ever World Series game (in which the Yankees beat the Dodgers 6-5) in color.

Related Topics:
1955 - Bud Blattner - Mutual - World Series

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In 1956, baseball's owners announced that the players' pension fund will receive 60% of World Series and All-Star Game radio and TV revenues.

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In 1957, CBS added a Sunday Game of the Week. ABC's Edgar Scherick said "In '53, no one wanted us. Now teams begged for Game's cash." That year, the NFL began a $14.1 miliion revenue-sharing pact. By 1965, Major League Baseball ended the big-city blackout, got $6.5 miliion for exclusivity, and split the pot.

Related Topics:
1957 - NFL - 1965

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With CBS now carrying the Game of the Week, outlets in Phoenix, Little Rock, and Cedar Rapids were finally receiving the Game of the Week. Bud Blattner said "America had never had TV network ball. Now you're getting two games a week "

Related Topics:
Phoenix - Little Rock - Cedar Rapids - 1959

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1960s

On July 23, 1962, Major League Baseball had its first satellite telecast (via Telstar Communications). The telecast included portion of a contest between the Chicago Cubs vs. the Philadelphia Phillies from Wrigley Field with Jack Brickhouse commentating.

Related Topics:
July 23 - 1962 - Satellite - Telstar Communications - Philadelphia Phillies

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By 1964, CBS' Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese worked Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. New York got $550,000 of CBS' $895,000. Six clubs that exclusively played nationally televised games on NBC got 1.2 million

Related Topics:
1964 - Pee Wee Reese - Yankee Stadium

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On March 17, 1965, Jackie Robinson became the first black network (ABC) broadcaster for Major League Baseball (Robinson was teamed with Chris Schenkel). That year, ABC provided the first-ever nationwide baseball coverage with weekly Saturday broadcasts on a regional basis. ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday/holiday Games of the Week. ABC's deal covered all of the teams except the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies (who had their own television deals) and called for two regionalized games on Saturdays, Independence Day, and Labor Day. ABC blacked out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games.

Related Topics:
March 17 - 1965 - Jackie Robinson - Black - ABC - Chris Schenkel - Independence Day - Labor Day

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In 1966, the New York Yankees, who in the year before, played 21 Games of the Week for CBS joined NBC's package. The new package under NBC called for 28 games compared to 1960's three-network 123.

Related Topics:
1966 - 1960

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By 1969, Major League Baseball had grown to 24 teams and the net local TV revenues had leaped to $20.7 million. This is in sharp contrast to 1950 when local television brought the then 16 Major League clubs a total net income of $2.3 million. You have to take under consideration the fact that changes that occurred to baseball during the 1960s such as expansion franchises and increasing the schedule from 154 games to 162 led to a wider audience for network and local television.

Related Topics:
1969 - 1950

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1970s

On October 13, 1971, the World Series held a night game for the very first time. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who felt that baseball could attract a larger audience by featuring a prime time telecast (as opposed to a mid-afternoon broadcast, when most fans either worked or attended school), pitched the idea to NBC. An estimated 61 million people watched Game 4 on NBC; TV ratings for a World Series game during the daytime hours would not have approached such a record number.

Related Topics:
October 13 - 1971 - World Series - Bowie Kuhn - NBC

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On October 21, 1975, 62 million watched what was arguably the greatest World Series game ever played. In Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds, the Reds were up by the score of 6-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning. The Reds only needed six more outs in order to win their first World Championship in 35 years. Instead, Bernie Carbo tied tied the game up with a three-run home run. The game would go on into the bottom of the 12th inning when Carlton Fisk won it for the Red Sox (at aproximately 12:34 a.m. Eastern Time) with a solo home run off of Pat Darcy. Fisk's body language and subsequent reaction to the ball landing fair (it hit the left field foul pole at Fenway Park) ultimately became one of the most replayed moments in baseball history. Game 7 was just as intense as the Red Sox carried a 3-0 lead into the top of the 6th inning. Tony Pérez's two-run homer narrowed the gap to 3-2, and in the top of the 9th, Joe Morgan's bloop single drove in Pete Rose to give the Reds a 4-3 led. When Will McEnaney got Carl Yastrzemski to hit a lazy fly ball for the final out (and thus clinch the World Championship for the Reds), it conclued perhaps the most thrilling World Series of all-time.

Related Topics:
October 21 - 1975 - 1975 World Series - Boston Red Sox - Cincinnati Reds - World Championship - Bernie Carbo - Carlton Fisk - Pat Darcy - Fenway Park - Tony Pérez - Joe Morgan - Pete Rose - Will McEnaney - Carl Yastrzemski

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In the aftermath of the thrilling 1975 World Series, attendance figures, television contracts (this time including two networks, NBC and now ABC), and player salaries all spiraled. In the eyes of some, that particular World Series restored baseball as America's national pastime (ahead of football). Some regard the 1975 World Series to be the first time that television really understood baseball (particularly the camera work of Carlton Fisk's reaction to the home run).

Related Topics:
ABC - America - Football

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Television camera operators missed a cue from the producer, so rather than tracking the flight of the ball, they instead stayed focused for a few extra, critical seconds on Fisk, who was only a few steps from home plate, frantically trying to "wave the ball fair." The power and drama of that image led to more "reaction shots" being incorporated into sports coverage.

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Cable Television

On July 17, 1964, a game out of Los Angeles between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers contest became the first Pay-TV baseball game. Basically, subscription television offered the cablecast to subscribers for money. The Dodgers beat the Cubs by the score of 3-2, with Don Drysdale collecting 10 strikeouts by the way.

Related Topics:
July 17 - 1964 - Los Angeles - Los Angeles Dodgers - Pay-TV - Don Drysdale

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In 1980, 22 teams (all but the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals) took part in a one-year cable deal with UA-Columbia. The deal involved the airing of a Thursday night Game of the Week in markets at least 50 miles (80 km) from a major league park. The deal earned Major League Baseball less than $500,000, but lead to a new two-year contract for 40-45 games per season.

Related Topics:
1980 - Atlanta Braves - Houston Astros - New York Mets - St. Louis Cardinals - Cable - UA - Columbia

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On January 5, 1989, Major League Baseball signed a $400 million deal with ESPN, who would show over 175 games in beginning in 1990. For the next four years, ESPN would televise six games a week (Sunday, Wednesday Night Baseball, doubleheaders on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus holidays).

Related Topics:
January 5 - 1989 - ESPN - 1990 - Wednesday Night Baseball - Doubleheader

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NBC's Bob Costas believed that a large bulk of the regular season coverage beginning in the 1990s to cable because CBS, the network that was taking over from NBC the television rights beginning in 1990 didn't really want the Saturday Game of the Week. Many fans who didn't appreciate CBS' approach to scheduling regular season baseball games believed that they were only truly after the marquee events (i.e. All-Star Game, League Championship Series, and the World Series) in order to sell advertising space (especially the fall entertainment television schedule).

Related Topics:
NBC - Bob Costas - 1990s - CBS - All-Star Game - League Championship Series - Advertising

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In 1994, ESPN renewed its baseball contract for six years (through the 1999 season). The new deal was worth $42.5 million per year and $255 million overall. The deal was ultimately voided after the 1995 season and ESPN was pretty much forced to restructure their contract.

Related Topics:
1994 - 1999 - 1995

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In 1996, ESPN began a five year contract with Major League Baseball worth $440 million and about $80 million per year. ESPN paid for the rights to a Wednesday doubleheader and the Sunday night Game of the Week, as well as all postseason games not aired on Fox or NBC. Major League Baseball staggered the times of first-round games to provide a full-day feast for viewers: ESPN could air games at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 11 p.m. EDT, with the broadcast networks telecasting the prime-time game.

Related Topics:
1996 - EDT

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Beginning in 1997, Fox entered a four year joint venture with Liberty Media Cable worth $172 million. The deal called for two games a week that aired games on its choice of two weeknights other than Wednesday, with no exclusivity.

Related Topics:
1997 - Fox - Liberty Media Cable

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OLN was briefly considering picking up the rights to the Sunday and Wednesday games, which expire after the 2005 season. On September 14, 2005 however, ESPN, the current rights holder, signed an eight year contract with Major League Baseball, highlighted by the continuation of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball series with additional, exclusive team appearances. The key details of the agreement are:

Related Topics:
OLN - 2005 - September 14 - 2005

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• Up to 80 regular-season telecasts per year;
• No blackout restrictions on exclusive Sunday Night Baseball; Monday Night Baseball, with ESPN mostly coexisting with local carriers
• Up to five appearances per team per year on the exclusive Sunday Night Baseball series, up from 11 over three years;
• Daily Baseball Tonight programs ? one of ESPN?s most popular series -- including the continued right to show in-progress highlights and live cut-ins;
• MLB Home Run Derby, ESPN?s highest-rated program of the summer and one of cable?s best, and additional All-Star programming;
• Continuation of season-long Wednesday baseball on ESPN and ESPN2
• A new afternoon batting practice program, generally from the site of ESPN's Monday night telecast;
• For the first time, the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenter will present a nightly Baseball Tonight update featuring in-progress highlights;
• Select games and MLB All-Star events on ESPN2 throughout the season;
• 10 Spring Training games and MLB Opening Day coverage;
• Telecast rights for ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN International;
• Ability to include MLB programming as part of the delivery of the ESPN networks via cable, satellite and other new or developing technologies, such as cell phones and wireless devices;
• Archival footage and game programming and Instant Classic rights for ESPN Classic.

ESPN's Monday and Wednesday telecasts will be mostly nonexclusive, meaning the games also can be televised by each club's local broadcasters. The Sunday games remain on ESPN only, with games shifted to ESPN2 when the NFL season starts each September.

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The sport will average $296 million under the new agreement, a television and a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of a confidentiality agreement in the deal. ESPN will pay baseball $273.5 million in 2006, $293.5 million in each of the following four years, $308.5 million in 2011 and $306 million in each of the final two seasons.

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See also

• ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball
• Ernesto Jerez