ESPN deal with Major League Baseball to include multiple platforms

Associated Press

Last update: August 21, 2008 - 11:26 AM

BRISTOL, Conn. - Major League Baseball and ESPN signed a new digital rights agreement that will allow the sports network to put baseball content on multiple platforms, including video game consoles and portable players such as iPods.

The deal announced Thursday extends and expands the agreement through 2013. The previous agreement could have expired as early as this year. Terms were not disclosed.

ESPN said the deal will allow for live game streaming and highlights packages on the Internet and mobile platforms. It also will allow ESPN to develop interactive television programming around baseball content.

ESPN will be able to put MLB content on download services like Apple's iTunes Store and console game systems such as Microsoft Xbox Live.

"Our goal is always to deliver sports to fans across any platform, and this is yet another agreement that fulfills that strategy," George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, said in a statement.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said in the same statement that the new agreement will "bring our game to our fans in a variety of new and exciting ways."

ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV will simulcast all Sunday Night Baseball, Monday Night Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball telecasts. The deal allows streaming of the Home Run Derby and other special MLB events.

The network said ESPN.com and its global sites will feature more highlights, and its mobile platforms will have new rights to show video highlights alone and as part of original shows.

ESPN and ABC are units of the Walt Disney Co.