Tech giant Apple is reportedly in talks with the MLB to broadcast the leagues' weekday national games that were dropped by ESPN at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
If the league and Apple sign the deal, this would be a big win for the California-based company that has been trying to break into broadcasting live sports for some years now. Their major competitor, Amazon, beat them to the punch, already having a deal with the NFL.
The weekday national games become available after ESPN dropped the leagues' Monday and Wednesday prime-time games. These games were not an exclusive broadcast from ESPN, making it unclear whether Apple would be allowed to have exclusive broadcasting rights. According to an article from the New York Post, Apple and the MLB have declined to respond.
Another reported competitor for the weekday national games is another outsider--Barstool Sports. Amazon was also reportedly in talks with the league but as of now, it seems like Apple will be the leagues' option. The move to a streaming platform deters from the norm of choosing a traditional linear television channel like ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS, and NBC.
The MLB is no stranger to airing games on non-linear platforms. The league has aired a number of games on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Of course, this deal cannot be done until the players and owners finally come to an agreement on the collective bargaining agreement, which has yet to have been hashed out.
Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
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