MLB and Fox Reach Agreement on In-Market Streaming

This is a huge deal that broke at the MLB Owners Meetings in Dallas today. Commissioner Rob Manfred has announced that MLB and Fox Sports have completed a three-year agreement that allows Fox to stream the 15 local teams for which they have the rights in-market. That means fans who watch on Fox-owned RSN’s can see their team’s games on any device (computer, mobile, smartwatch and tablet) provided that they authenticate their cable or satellite log-in on the Fox Sports Go app.

MLB and Fox had been discussing in-market streaming for years, but could not get together on which platform to use (MLB At-Bat or Fox’s), money, manner to sign in and which infrastructure to use (MLB Adavanced Media or Fox’s). It was all a mess at one point.

But as Eric Fisher and John Ourand wrote back in August in Sports Business Journal, the two sides finally agreed that Fox could put games on Fox Sports Go and use MLBAM to manage the streams.

Fisher tweeted out details of the agreement today.

So for the Fox-affiliated clubs, you’ll be able to watch your team in-market without any blackouts on the Fox Sports Go. You will need to be subscribed to your cable or satellite provider to watch the games.

Agreements still need to be hashed out with NBC for the Comcast SportsNet RSN’s (both Chicago teams, Philadelphia, Oakland, San Francisco), AT&T for the Root Sports teams (Colorado, Houston, Pittsburgh and Seattle),  team-owned RSN’s MASN (Baltimore and Washington), NESN (Boston) as well as the Time Warner-managed SportsNet LA (Dodgers) and Comcast/Time Warner-operated SNY (Mets). But Fox was the biggest domino as it had rights to the largest amount of teams.

MLB joins the NBA and NHL in allowing in-market streaming.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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