Deal between MLB Advanced Media and ESPN may help stream live games

In a new deal between ESPN and MLB Advanced Media, ESPN will have the right to digitally stream baseball games live.   No financial details have been announced and what the impact for us, the fan, will be is still up in the air. 

That said, I can assure you this will be a money maker for ESPN any way you look at it.  The technology to stream live games to mobile devices such as mobile phones and iPods (even gaming consoles) has been here.  The only stumbling block was a legal and financial one. For ESPN and MLB Advanced Media, this is the first step to breaking down that barrier. 

Interestingly, the rights are worldwide but do not extend to some Asian or Pacific Rim countries. 

Some comments from MLB Advanced Media head Bob Bowman and ESPN’s John Skipper may shed some more light on the matter.

Skipper acknowledged that there was some revenue sharing in the last deal. “This deal we’re paying cash for valuable rights.” Bowman wasn’t talking financial details either, saying only, “we believe in our content and we’re grateful that ESPN does, too.”

Or maybe not.