With just a week to go before MLB Opening Day, the Miami Marlins agreed to a broadcast deal with Bally Sports Florida.
The rebranded Fox Sports RSN will produce and broadcast every regular season Marlins game in 2021, the first year of a multiyear agreement between both parties.
It was always likely to get done; the Marlins didn’t have any other real options, and the RSN needed the content, so both parties were motivated. The team always has more leverage, though, and the Marlins are reportedly increasing their revenue fairly substantially, according to the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish:
Sources indicate the Marlins new multi-year TV deal is more than doubles their previous one annually from a financial perspective. Substantially more than double. In addition the deal is more than 5 years in length.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) March 24, 2021
Via the network’s release, which also has details on the broadcast crew and various studio analysts:
The new season on Bally Sports Florida also marks the beginning of a new multi-year media rights agreement for the network to continue as the home of the Marlins, extending their existing 20-year relationship.
Paul Severino returns for his fourth season as play-by-play announcer, while former Marlins player Todd Hollandsworth is back for his fifth year in the broadcast booth as color analyst. Four-time World Series Champion Jeff Nelson, former Marlins player Gaby Sanchez, longtime Marlins announcer Tommy Hutton and former MLB catcher J.P. Arencibia will all play roles as analysts in the network’s pregame and postgame coverage this season.
Former Marlins player Cliff Floyd will make his Bally Sports Florida debut, rejoining the broadcast team for his first season since 2013 as a pre- and post-game analyst. Craig Minervini will begin his 20th season as host and in-game reporter, in addition to Jessica Blaylock, who enters her seventh season as in-game reporter and host. Kelly Saco rounds out the broadcast team in her fourth season as contributing host and in-game reporter, while South Florida digital host and reporter Jeremy Tache will cover all things social in his first season with the network.
Bally Sports Florida will also produce pre- and post-game shoulder programming as part of the deal. Mish also raises the specter of a potential relocation for Florida’s other baseball team, which could potentially impact the value of Marlins rights in the future:
Also worth noting what the Marlins TV deal could look like if they end up in a few years being the only MLB team in Florida. That shouldn't get lost here. If the Rays (hopefully not) are relocated in a few years, one would assume the value of Marlins media rights would rise.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) March 24, 2021
That’s certainly a factor to be considered. It’s certainly debatable whether a potential Rays move would mean more actual Marlins fans or any raised interest in the team across the state. But in that scenario the Marlins would would at least be able to claim an expanded exclusive territory, and that does have value.
The Marlins open their season on Bally Sports Florida against the aforementioned Rays on April 1st at 4:10 PM Eastern.
