MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is providing a glimmer of hope for baseball fans who have long been frustrated by the sport’s TV blackout policy. In a comprehensive interview with The New York Times, Manfred addressed several anticipated topics, including torpedo bats and the balls and strikes challenge system, while also highlighting the issue of blackout restrictions.
MLB’s blackout policy restricts fans from streaming games on MLB.TV within a team’s home territory, a move aimed at safeguarding the financial interests of local broadcasters and clubs. However, this policy can result in absurd scenarios for fans, such as how the Cincinnati Reds’ regional territory for the FanDuel Sports Network stretches into parts of North Carolina—nearly 500 miles away. Manfred acknowledged in 2022 that “we hate blackouts as much as fans do,” although he noted that these blackout clauses are embedded in existing broadcast agreements. He assured that change is coming with the upcoming negotiations for the league’s next national media deal.
“I think it will get done at the time of our next national broadcast agreements, after the 2028 season,” Manfred stated to The Times. “We need to be out of the business of blackouts, which is essentially telling people who want to watch games that we won’t sell them to you. San Diego is a prime example: we took over their local broadcasts and sold tens of thousands of direct-to-consumer in-market packages, demonstrating that there were plenty of fans willing to pay to watch baseball.”
Shifting gears, Manfred discussed the decision to open the MLB season in Japan. While this choice was met with mixed feelings from fans, he pointed out the significant excitement generated by the Tokyo Series featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, thanks largely to the presence of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. “The level of fandom was amazing,” he remarked, highlighting that Japan attracts an impressive 56 million people to baseball games, showcasing the strong baseball culture in the country.
Following this discussion on expanding MLB’s presence in Japan, Manfred revealed plans to explore selling international broadcast rights to a streaming service. “It is vitally important from a business perspective,” he emphasized. “When you can tell a streaming company, ‘I can deliver an audience of 25 million people in Japan for a game,’ they’re interested. Historically, we’ve sold our Japanese rights to local broadcast companies, but I suspect that by 2028, during our next national deals, those international rights, including Japan, will transition to a streaming platform.”
