On Wednesday night, MLB announced their first-ever streaming agreement in China with Le Sports. The agreement, MLB’s first mass market media deal in China, gives Le Sports the exclusive rights to 125 MLB games each season and Mandarin language MLB programming through its internet platform, mobile apps, and over the top devices.
The 125 games include four HD games per week (96 in total), 20 HD Postseason games, the Home Run Derby, All-Star Game, and the entirety of the World Series along with the ability to rebroadcast games through VOD services.
Le Sports will also “establish an online community for 30 MLB clubs and become a central portal for Chinese baseball fans to connect more deeply with their favorite teams, from supporting MLB live events to merchandise purchases.” The two partners will also continue producing a baseball reality show called MLB Perfect Pitch, which aired 250 episodes in China over the past two years.
In addition to their new deal with MLB, Le Sports also has contracts with Wimbledon and the English Premier League (in Hong Kong) beginning in 2016.
Getting a foot in the door with China is a big deal for MLB. The NBA inked a streaming deal with Chinese company Tencent last year, and that five-year deal is worth at least $500 million. MLB is making billions in America, but if they’re able to increase their revenues abroad, that can only bode well for the future of the league internationally.
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