ESPN Secures Red Sox And Yankees Rights

Sports Business Journal is reporting this morning that ESPN will keep their package of MLB games for Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday nights. That isn't what is important about this deal. What is important is that ESPN has also bought the Red Sox and Yankees broadcasting rights.

"ESPN also picked up rights to carry games featuring more popular teams, like the Yankees and Red Sox, more frequently."

More frequently? More Frequently?!? MORE FREQUENTLY?!?!? What the fuck does that mean? You can't watch ESPN one week without seeing a Yankees or Red Sox game. So what does more frequently mean? Did ESPN buy the Red Sox and Yankees broadcasting rights? Will ESPN rotate Yankee and Red Sox so one night there's Michael Kay calling games and then there's Don Orsillo calling games the next day?

While it's good that baseball can still demand big money for their broadcasting rights, I don't know how good idea it is to give ESPN the rights to carry games featuring "more popular teams." Because all that means will get used to 80 to 100 games a year on our network that are only Red Sox and Yankees games.

(Via Sports Business Journal)