ESPN, MLB Agreement Extended

BRISTOL,
August 22: ESPN and Major League Baseball have completed the terms of their new
digital rights agreement that will allow the cable sports network to deliver
content on various platforms.

ESPN will
launch baseball content on video-game consoles in addition to download services
like Xbox Live and the iTunes Store. The deal, which runs through 2013, allows
for live games streaming and highlights packages on the mobile platform and the
Internet. ESPN can also develop interactive television programming for the
sport.

ESPN360.com
and ESPN Mobile TV will simulcast all Sunday Night Baseball, Monday Night
Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball broadcasts.

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

—By Jackie Stewart