I knew these negotiations were coming/ongoing, but with serious questions about what the postseason will look like after this year, with even more serious questions about what labor peace will look like, and with even-even more serious questions about what consumer habits will be like after this year, I didn’t think the sides were going to be able to strike an extension deal right now.
However:
BREAKING: MLB and Turner Sports have agreed to a new billion dollar deal for the network to continue broadcasting an LCS and the playoffs, The Post has learned.https://t.co/ZJp92Hcqym
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) June 13, 2020
Per the report, the extension would kick in after the 2021 season, and could mark an enormous increase in the rate MLB had previously been commanding. The Post report indicates it could be a bump from $350 million annually to $500 million annually (nearly a 50% increase). Maury Brown from Forbes suggests that there could be some miscommunication there – and the increase could be even more substantial:
Maybe Andrew can help here. Know he doesn’t have specifics but says “billion deal” with this. Current Turner deal is 4/$2.6 billion and expires in 2021. That’s $650M annual. My guess is the new deal is $1B annually, or additional $350M a year. https://t.co/C4EN8jJ40d
— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) June 13, 2020
Either way, the important takeaway is that even in this moment, national TV partners still want to lock in long-term deals for postseason baseball, paying a premium to do so.
Now, in relation to the ongoing negotiations about a return to play this year, you may do with that information what you choose.
UPDATE: More details here:
Sources: Major League Baseball is close to an agreement to renew its rights deal with Turner Sports at around a 40% average annual increase. https://t.co/LBFfiM2a5a
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) June 13, 2020