Baseball is in the midst of a lockout that is threatening the start of the 2022 season, but that isn’t preventing the league from getting richer.
The new streaming deal between Major League Baseball and Apple is worth $85 million annually over seven years, according to several sources familiar with the agreement who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the terms.
Under the new pact, Apple will pay a $55 million rights fee and $30 million worth of advertising. Apple gets the exclusive rights to telecast twoFriday Night Baseball games each week (about 50 a season) in the U.S. and in eight countries overseas via Apple TV+. Apple has the right to exit the agreement after the first or second year.
In addition,Forbes has learned that MLB has come to terms on a two-year streaming deal with Comcast’s NBC Sports for the Monday and Wednesday night games ESPN did not pick up in its new agreement with MLB. This deal, which will mainly see the games streamed on Peacock, starts this season and is worth $30 million annually.
Prior to the agreements with Apple and NBC Sports, the annual average of the league’s national media deals that begin this season was $1.84 billion, split evenly among the 30 teams. That figure is now $1.96 billion, representing a 26% increase annually over the league’s previous national media deals. The deals are a win for baseball, boosting its overall media revenue and adding substantial distribution of games and related content on streaming.
MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR