One of the reasons why Fox launched Fox Sports 1 last year was to air baseball in bulk. Fox Sports 1 will air 40 games this season including 10 exclusive Saturday doubleheaders and an additional 10 doubleheaders split with Fox.
In addition, Fox Sports 1 will occasional games during the week including its first MLB regular season primetime game, Cincinnati at St. Louis on Tuesday, April 8 at 8:15 p.m. ET. Fox Sports 1’s first MLB games will be on the Saturday prior, April 5 with an afternoon doubleheader.
For the most part, Fox’s windows will be on Saturdays. Fox Sports 1’s games will not be exclusive and they will co-exist with the local cable or over-the-air broadcasts.
As has been the case since 1996 when Fox began airing MLB games, their broadcasts are exclusive. However, one change from previous years. Regional games once only available in the local markets will now be available on MLB Extra Innings and MLB.TV. You’ll be able to see the out-of-market Fox games, but the one available in your market will be seen on the local Fox station only.
Fox will have eight consecutive primetime “Baseball Night in America” games leading up to the All-Star Games from May 3 through July 5 and that is the bulk of its 12 game schedule this season, a dramatic reduction from 24 games over the past two seasons. That is the least amount of MLB games on network television since CBS aired 16 games a season between 1990-1993.
All of the regular season Fox games as wells as all postseason games on the Fox networks will be available on Fox Sports Go.
Fox will also produce a new MLB pregame studio show out of Los Angeles. For the past two seasons, Fox had outsourced its studio show to MLB Network. That will be dropped in favor of a Fox-produced show.
And we still don’t have a replacement for Tim McCarver yet, but expect that to be Harold Reynolds.
I hope I didn’t confuse you. Here’s the official press release.
MLB ON FOX 2014 IS A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME
Regular and Postseason Games Coming to FOX Sports 1;
BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA Carries Prime Time Slate on the FOX Broadcast Network Leading into All-Star Game
New Pregame Show Precedes Games on the FOX Broadcast Network and FOX Sports 1New York – This spring, MLB on FOX is a whole new ballgame.
Heading into 2014 armed for the first time with FOX Sports 1, America’s new national sports channel, FOX Sports brings fans of the national pastime more coverage of more games, more excitement and more unforgettable moments than ever before as MLB on FOX ushers in a new era.
FOX Sports, MLB’s primary broadcast rights holder since 1996 and exclusive national broadcast partner since 2001, this year begins a new eight-year, multiplatform media rights agreement that adds national cable and digital coverage to its portfolio, doubling regular season exposures, mostly on Saturdays, from 26 to 52 combined on the FOX Broadcast Network and FOX Sports 1, with 20 Saturday doubleheaders, 10 exclusively on FOX Sports 1 and 10 split between FOX Sports 1 and the FOX Broadcast Network.
FOX Sports 1 makes its MLB debut on Saturday, April 5 with a doubleheader as the Minnesota Twins take on the Cleveland Indians (1:00 PM ET) followed by the San Francisco Giants visiting the Los Angeles Dodgers (4:00 PM ET). The NL champion St. Louis Cardinals debut in FOX Sports 1’s first primetime showing on Tuesday, April 8 (8:15 PM ET) with a visit from their division rival Cincinnati Reds. Fresh off an inspirational and thrilling 2013 championship run for the city of Boston, the World Champion Red Sox premiere on FOX Sports 1 Saturday, April 12 (1:00 PM ET) against their longtime nemesis New York Yankees, from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. The FOX Broadcast Network picks up its first Yankees-Red Sox matchup on Saturday, June 28 (7:00 PM ET).
Major League Baseball makes its 2014 MLB debut on the FOX Broadcast Network Saturday, May 24 (7:00 PM ET), the first of eight consecutive primetime windows leading up to the 85th MLB All-Star Game, with regionalized coverage of three exciting matchups, preceded by the Detroit Tigers hosting the Texas Rangers on FOX Sports 1 at 1:00 PM ET.
In addition to the All-Star Game, this year live from Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 15 (8:00 PM ET), FOX Sports remains the home of MLB’s crown jewel events, including the World Series, two Division Series and the League Championship Series.
In addition to the All-Star Game, this year live from Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 15 (8:00 PM ET), FOX Sports remains the home of MLB’s crown jewel events, including the World Series, two Division Series and the League Championship Series.
All regular season games, Division Series, League Championship Series, World Series games and the All-Star Game broadcast by FOX Sports are being streamed live via FOX Sports GO through participating video providers.
Eric Shanks and John Entz are FOX Sports’ Executive Producers. Bardia Shah-Rais serves as coordinating pregame producer. Pete Macheska is coordinating producer of FOX Sports’ MLB coverage. Bill Webb is lead director.
2014 FOX SPORTS/FOX SPORTS 1 MLB REGULAR-SEASON BROADCAST SCHEDULE
(Note: Schedule Subject to Change – Times Refer to On-Air)Saturday, April 5
1:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles DodgersTuesday, April 8
8:15 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals
Saturday, April 12
1:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Boston Red Sox at New York YankeesSaturday, April 19
1:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Anaheim Angels at Detroit Tigers8:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles DodgersSaturday, April 26
1:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Anaheim Angels at New York Yankees4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis CardinalsSaturday, May 3
1:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs7:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Detroit Tigers at Kansas City RoyalsSaturday, May 10
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers7:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cleveland Indians at Tampa Bay Rays
Thursday, May 15
12:35 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds
Saturday, May 17
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Yankees
Saturday, May 24
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers7:00 PM ET – FOX
St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates
Kansas City Royals at Anaheim AngelsSaturday, May 31
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins7:00 PM ET – FOX
Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles DodgersSaturday, June 7
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cleveland Indians at Texas Rangers7:00 PM ET – FOX
Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals
Oakland Athletics at Baltimore OriolesSaturday, June 14
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers7:00 PM ET – FOX
Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers
Anaheim Angels at Atlanta BravesSaturday, June 21
7:00 PM ET – FOX
Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians10:05 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Texas Rangers at Anaheim AngelsSaturday, June 28
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers7:00 PM ET – FOX
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers
Washington Nationals at Chicago CubsSaturday, July 5
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Arizona Diamondbacks at Atlanta Braves7:00 PM ET – FOX
Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
Texas Rangers at New York Mets
San Francisco Giants at San Diego PadresSaturday, July 12
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers7:00 PM ET – FOX
Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies
Anaheim Angels at Texas RangersTuesday, July 15
2014 MLB All-Star Game from Target Field – Minneapolis, MNSaturday, July 19
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals7:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cleveland Indians at Detroit TigersSaturday, July 26
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Washington Nationals at Cincinnati Reds7:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cleveland Indians at Kansas City RoyalsTuesday, July 29
8:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
New York Yankees at Texas RangersSaturday, August 2
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports
New York Yankees at Boston Red SoxSaturday, August 9
1:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
St. Louis Cardinals at Baltimore OriolesSaturday, August 16
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays7:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
San Diego Padres at St. Louis CardinalsSaturday, August 23
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals7:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday, August 26
8:10 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City RoyalsSaturday, August 30
4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh PiratesSaturday, September 6
1:00 PM ET – FOX
San Francisco Giants at Detroit Tigers
Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays4:00 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
Kansas City Royals at New York YankeesSaturday, September 13
1:00 PM ET – FOX
Atlanta Braves at Texas Rangers
New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles8:10 PM ET – FOX Sports 1
San Diego Padres at Arizona DiamondbacksSaturday, September 20
FOX/FOX Sports 1
TBD
Saturday, September 27
FOX/FOX Sports 1
TBD
That is all.
