Up to 80 regular-season telecasts per year.
#Espn mlb schedule series#
On Septemhowever, ESPN, then the current rights holder, signed an eight year contract with Major League Baseball, highlighted by the continuation of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball series with additional, exclusive team appearances. OLN was briefly considering picking up the rights to the Sunday and Wednesday games, which expired after the 2005 season. ESPN then added these games, along with the Thursday night games (subsequently shifted to weekday afternoon "DayGame" broadcasts), to its package. The contracts with ESPN were worth $141.8 million per year and $851 million overall.Īfter Disney bought Fox Family (who from 2000- 2001 aired Thursday night games) in 2002 to become ABC Family the Division Series games aired on ABC Family (with ESPN's announcers, graphics, and music) for one year. EDT, with the broadcast networks telecasting the prime time game.ĮSPN and ESPN2 had contracts (which were signed in 2000 and ran through 2005) to show selected weeknight and Sunday Night Baseball games, along with selected Division Series playoff games. Major League Baseball staggered the times of first-round games to provide a full-day feast for viewers: ESPN could air games at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 11 p.m. ESPN paid for the rights to a Wednesday night doubleheader and Sunday Night Baseball, as well as holiday telecasts and all postseason games not aired on FOX or NBC. In 1996, ESPN began a five year contract with Major League Baseball worth $440 million and about $80 million per year. The deal was ultimately voided after the 1995 season and ESPN was pretty much forced to restructure their contract. The new deal was worth $42.5 million per year and $255 million overall. In 1994, ESPN renewed its baseball contract for six years (through the 1999 season). It was essentially, the television equivalent to a cross country stadium tour. Also, every team was guaranteed an appearance. When ESPN first broadcasted Sunday Night Baseball, they would show at least one game from every ballpark. By 1998, ESPN enjoyed its largest baseball audience ever (a 9.5 Nielsen rating) as Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run of the season. That was double the number that ESPN as a whole was averaging at the time (1.5). In its first year, Sunday Night Baseball averaged a 3.0 rating. On April 15, 1990, ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball with the experienced play-by-play broadcaster Jon Miller and Joe Morgan debuted.
#Espn mlb schedule plus#
For the next four years, ESPN would televise six games a week ( Sunday, Wednesday Night Baseball, doubleheaders on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus holidays). On January 5, 1989, Major League Baseball signed a $400 million deal with ESPN, who would show over 175 games beginning in 1990. ESPN also airs an emmy award winning daily highlight show called Baseball Tonight at 10 p.m. In addition to regular season games, ESPN also airs 10 spring training games entitled ESPN Spring Training and formerly aired Division Series playoff games entitled The Division Series on ESPN. The different weekly regular season games that ESPN has is (as of 2007): Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, Monday Night Baseball presented by Bank of America and Wednesday Night Baseball presented by Goodyear, and formerly ESPN DayGame presented by Fruit of the Loom and Thursday Night Baseball powered by Castrol. The title is derived from the fact that it may come on a night when ESPN doesn't have a scheduled game (i.e. Major League Baseball on ESPN debuted on Apwith Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013. Template loop detected: Template:Infobox TelevisionĮSPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD.