ESPN and Major League Baseball are closing in on a TV deal that would provide the network exclusive rights to the first round of the playoffs, The Post has learned.
Now all that is needed is a first round of the playoffs.
That needs to be negotiated between MLB and the Players Association, which is to say that, while an ESPN-MLB deal is close, they are still far from knowing when — and even if — there will be playoffs expanded from 10 to likely 14 teams to include a best-of-three first round.
In the deal between ESPN and MLB, the network would reduce the amount of national games it broadcasts, while increasing the number of marquee matchups.
While weekday regular season baseball will almost be eliminated on the network, “Sunday Night Baseball” will continue with ESPN in talks to keep Alex Rodriguez as the main analyst on the broadcasts, according to sources. His partner, Matt Vasgersian, is probable to return, but a definitive decision has not been made yet.
In the new contract, ESPN will pay a lower average value than its previous eight-year contract that was reported to be for $5.6 billion. Fewer games means less money. The exact dollars and length are not yet publicly known. It is likely to be through 2028 when the Fox and TBS baseball deals end.
MLB is engaging other networks about picking up what ESPN discards — likely a host of weekday games — to broadcast nationally, according to sources.
In 2022, when the new deal will begin, ESPN will broadcast 30 to 40 regular season games, down from around 90.
Of the 30 to 40 in the new deal, 25 will be in the exclusive Sunday Night window, featuring A-Rod. The rest of the broadcasts will be spread out across the season. The network will continue with the Home Run Derby.
ESPN will have the flexibility to put games on ABC, but this is looked upon as an ESPN contract. Disney had interest in paying big bucks for the MLB At Bat app for its ESPN+ service, but MLB has not put that up for sale. ESPN+ will have one featured game per day.
The new playoff format could begin as soon as this year, as an agreement will have a rider that gives ESPN the rights to a new opening round if it were to start in 2021.
MLB and the Players Association agreed to expand last year’s playoffs from 10 to 16 teams for the 60-game pandemic season. But that was for just 2020. A bump up from 10 would require another agreement.
MLB has indicated it would trade a universal DH (which the union favors) to expand the playoffs, probably to 14 teams. The union believes MLB also wants to have the DH used in the NL also and has let it be known this is not a trade.
Plus, the union believes the playoff rights are worth considerably more to the owners than just the DH and would want a more substantial tradeoff plus more than the $50 million postseason pool they received last year for accepting expanded playoffs. The union has let it be known it is willing to do the 2021 playoffs as a one-off rather than tie it to larger collective bargaining. The current collective bargaining agreement concludes after the 2021 season.
MLB’s hopes for 2021 likely mirror what they want for a new CBA: Seven teams making the playoffs in each league, the top seed getting a first-round bye and the remaining six teams playing a best-of-three to advance to the Division Series along with the top seed.
MLB had previously reached deals with Fox and TBS to extend their relationships through 2028 for the regular season and the playoffs. Fox has the rights to the World Series, a league championship series, divisional series play and a weekly regular-season game of the week. TBS’ extension will see it continue with playoff rights, including a league championship series. In 2022, TBS will move its regular-season package from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday nights.