forbes.com
ESPN Launches Streaming App, Secures MLB Digital Rights
ESPN launched a \$30/month streaming app today, securing MLB's out-of-market and five teams' local game digital rights for three years, addressing financial struggles of smaller franchises after regional sports network collapses, while forgoing a previous \$550 million annual national deal.
- How does this deal impact smaller MLB franchises financially, and what challenges does it create?
- This agreement represents a major shift in MLB's video rights distribution, centralizing digital access. It addresses the financial challenges faced by smaller teams due to the decline of regional sports networks, a move MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been pursuing despite opposition from larger teams with established local deals. ESPN benefits by gaining valuable content for its new streaming app.
- What is the significance of ESPN's new streaming app launch and its acquisition of MLB digital rights?
- ESPN launched a new \$30/month streaming app today, securing digital rights to out-of-market MLB games and local games for five teams for three years. This follows ESPN's decision to forgo a \$550 million annual national MLB deal earlier this year. The new deal addresses financial struggles of smaller franchises that lost revenue from regional sports networks.
- What are the potential long-term consequences of this centralized digital rights approach for the future of sports broadcasting?
- The deal's long-term impact will depend on subscriber numbers and ESPN's ability to retain and grow its audience. This strategy could influence other leagues to consolidate digital rights, potentially disrupting traditional broadcasting models. Smaller franchises will heavily rely on this new revenue stream, while the lack of local control might cause future tension.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article frames ESPN's acquisition of baseball digital rights as a strategic move to dominate the sports streaming market. This framing emphasizes ESPN's ambition and success while downplaying potential drawbacks or concerns raised by other stakeholders, such as smaller baseball franchises or consumers. The headline, if present, would likely reinforce this positive framing of ESPN's actions.
Language Bias
The language used is generally neutral and objective, though terms like "seismic shift" and "dominate" suggest a positive bias towards ESPN's actions. The description of smaller franchises' financial struggles could be seen as somewhat loaded. Neutral alternatives could include more precise descriptions of the financial situation and less emotionally charged language.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on ESPN's new streaming deal and its implications for baseball, but omits discussion of the potential impact on consumers, particularly regarding pricing and accessibility of the service. There is also limited analysis of the potential negative effects of ESPN's increased control over baseball's digital distribution, such as reduced competition and potential for higher prices for viewers. The article mentions the criticism of ESPN for cancelling the Colin Kaepernick documentary, but does not delve into the specifics of the criticism or provide counterarguments from ESPN.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat simplified view of the streaming landscape, portraying a competition between ESPN and other services like Fox One, without fully exploring the complexities of the market and the diverse viewing options available to consumers. The narrative implicitly frames ESPN's acquisition of rights as a positive development, without acknowledging potential downsides.
Sustainable Development Goals
The deal addresses the financial struggles of smaller MLB franchises by providing them with a more stable source of revenue for local game distribution, thus potentially reducing the financial inequality between larger and smaller teams.