Rob Manfred seeking deal that puts MLB on broadcast TV multiple times per week

The media situation around Major League Baseball is about as uncertain as they come.

With regional sports networks becoming increasingly difficult to access, either from being shoved into higher, more expensive tiers by cable and satellite distributors, or not even being carried at all, and ESPN recently opting out of its national media rights agreement with MLB, the next few years will be filled with changes to how baseball fans view the sport.

But that uncertainty breeds opportunity for the league. Opportunity to simplify the viewing experience. Opportunity to reach more fans where they are, and ultimately, opportunity to grow baseball’s audience.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, perhaps optimistically, is looking to do just that.

Appearing on MLB Tonight on Wednesday, the commissioner outlined the league’s ideal future media plans.

“We have probably three priorities,” Manfred began. “Number one, we want our reach to be better. As the cable bundle and the RSNs decline, we have a lot of people that don’t have access to baseball and we need to improve that. We need more broadcast television where people can get at games. We’d like to be on broadcast TV more than once a week.

“Secondly, we need to make the fan experience easier. I’d love to get to a situation in which we have a digital product available. The fan can go in and buy whatever they want to buy, what game, without market blackouts. And if the game isn’t available in that digital product, there’s only one or two other places, probably a broadcast location, where the game can be found. So it’ll be simpler for fans, number two.

“Number three, you know, it’s obviously revenue. I mean, the lifeblood of the game and we need to capitalize on the momentum you referred to earlier and make sure that we continue to grow our revenue.”

One can deduce, if Manfred gets his wish, that there are two likely landing spots for the package of ESPN games that MLB is taking to market for next season. The first would be Fox, who has expressed an interest in expanding its current relationship with MLB, and has been increasingly willing to use its broadcast network for live sports in recent years. Another potential partner would be NBC, who would create great brand synergy by inserting a Sunday Night Baseball package into its Sunday Night franchise that will feature both the NFL and NBA starting next year.

It’s easy to see why Rob Manfred wants a larger presence on broadcast. Those channels are much more accessible than something like ESPN, which is locked behind a paywall. And that’s where the industry has been shifting. Beginning next year, the NBA will have significantly more broadcast windows than it does now with its new NBC deal. College football has expanded its broadcast presence with Fox airing an entire package of Friday night games last season. The NFL, of course, has owned broadcast for ages, which has worked out well for them.

But whether MLB can strike a deal that gives them more broadcast exposure, for a price that is satisfactory, remains to be seen. As Rob Manfred said, revenue is another key factor in all of this. For years, leagues like MLB have traded reach for revenue by inking deals with cable channels flush with carriage dollars. Now, by seemingly limiting the number of bidders to just those with a broadcast channel, at least for a portion of available inventory, the market might not be so robust for the league.

However, if MLB can find a satisfactory deal, it’ll be a win for fans who will have an easier time finding and watching baseball. And that seems to be a primary goal for commissioner Manfred, even if the league has to sacrifice some potential revenue along the way.