ESPN and Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) recently expanded their digital rights agreement, confirming it through 2013 for ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Mobile Publishing, ESPN MVP and emerging platforms including video game consoles, interactive television and portable devices like iTunes, iPods and Zunes as well as ESPN-licensed content syndication.
Combined with ESPN and MLB’s recent TV deal and exclusive U.S. terrestrial radio rights, this is ESPN’s most wide-ranging multiplatform collection of baseball rights ever. It also covers all new platforms ESPN creates or relationships it develops with other companies through the end of the agreement — including worldwide digital rights with the exception of some Asia-Pacific Rim markets.
ESPN digital media’s coverage of MLB will include:
- Live game streaming: ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature online TV network, and ESPN Mobile TV can simulcast all “Sunday Night Baseball,” “Monday Night Baseball” and “Wednesday Night Baseball” telecasts. ESPN digital media platforms will also be able to stream the Home Run Derby and other special MLB events for which ESPN has TV rights.
- Expanded online and mobile highlights: ESPN.com and its network of global sites will feature more highlights than ever before, and ESPN’s Mobile platforms — ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN MVP — will have newly expanded rights to deliver video highlights by themselves and as part of original shows.
- Interactive television: ESPN will work with MLBAM to develop interactive TV applications around baseball games and content.
- Interactive online applications: ESPN digital media platforms will continue the development and enhancement of ESPN GameCast and may develop other interactive applications.
- Alternative platforms: ESPN will be able to deliver MLB content as part of its offerings on alternative platforms, such as content download services like Apple’s iTunes Store and console game systems such as Microsoft XBox Live as well as other platforms that may be developed during the course of the agreement.
- Content syndication: ESPN will have rights to syndicate some of the MLB content, including video and data, that it presents on ESPN digital media platforms to ESPN digital media syndication partners.
For more information, visit http://www.espnmediazone.com/corp_info/corp_info_current_releases.html.
