The article digs into MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s push for a 2029 overhaul of baseball’s media-rights structure. He wants to sell more games nationally and bundle local rights leaguewide.
Team owners, especially Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, have some real concerns. They’re worried about losing local control and how this could affect telecasts, revenue sharing, and the fan experience as the sport tries to keep up with a wild media landscape.
MLB’s 2029 media-rights overhaul: what it could mean for fans, teams, and the bottom line
Manfred says expanding the national footprint and sharing revenue more evenly could boost the total value of MLB’s media rights. He points out that a majority-owner vote can shift games into a national package, even if every club isn’t on board.
MLB already controls local rights for at least 14 teams in 2026. With current national deals ending in 2028, 2029 feels like a natural time to try something new.
Manfred thinks a larger national inventory will attract more bidders and drive up revenue, which gets shared among all clubs. He’s pretty confident about that, but there’s a lot to untangle first.
The plan faces legal and constitutional hurdles. MLB’s constitution needs a majority-owner vote for video-rights actions and a three-quarters vote for any changes to revenue sharing.
Local TV revenue has dropped in many markets. The idea of expanding national rights comes as regional sports networks (RSNs) struggle with big changes and uncertainty.
The league insists fans would benefit from fewer blackouts and a more fan-friendly setup. But actually making that happen means sorting out complex rights arrangements and probably hammering out new streaming deals for viewers.
The governance puzzle: voting thresholds, rights reallocation, and the current landscape
Who controls how games get shown, and who gets the money? That’s the big question.
Manfred argues a national-package shift could move forward with just a majority-owner vote for video-rights actions. But revenue-sharing changes still need that three-quarters threshold.
MLB already controls local rights for several teams, but the constitution’s voting rules make any big change a slow, delicate process. Regional sports networks are in rough shape, and past failures have made teams a lot more cautious about negotiations.
Owners’ concerns: independence, telecast quality, and local revenue
Independence matters to owners like Tom Ricketts and others who run team-owned networks, such as Marquee Sports in Chicago. They’re not thrilled about a stronger national bundle possibly eroding the local control that lets them tailor telecasts and connect with the community.
They worry a broader national package could shrink the share of proceeds that local rights give to individual clubs. Local deals have usually returned more revenue to teams, so losing that stings.
Meanwhile, TV revenue in local markets has stalled or dropped. That adds pressure to find a better national approach as streaming costs rise and fans’ habits keep shifting.
Economic dynamics: revenue distribution and the potential salary-cap link
Supporters claim a bigger national market could boost the total value of rights and spread money more evenly. Even if some teams give up a bigger local slice, the overall pool could grow and help everyone.
Manfred thinks big-market teams might accept the plan if leaguewide revenue actually climbs—and if there’s progress toward a salary cap in labor talks. That could mean steadier national coverage for fans and a more predictable economic setup for players.
Fan experience in a new media era: more packages, fewer blackouts, or more subscriptions?
Manfred pitches the overhaul as a way to end blackouts and make MLB content more fan-friendly. But here’s the catch: fans might need to subscribe to several national packages just to watch every game.
Will accessibility or revenue win out? The league will have to walk a fine line, trying to keep MLB easy to watch while making sure teams and markets still get to put on a show they’re proud of.
Context and risk: RSNs, the streaming shift, and a changing media landscape
The league points to disruptions in regional sports networks and a historically volatile RSN market as context for the push. MLB thinks its content still matters and sees the next rights cycle as a shot to stabilize distribution.
They want to expand reach and modernize how fans watch games across devices and platforms. But critics warn that past RSN failures show how tough it is to balance local loyalties with a national strategy.
A fragmented streaming landscape could make it harder for fans to stick around. That’s a real concern, honestly.
Here is the source article for this story: Rob Manfred’s biggest upcoming fight might be with his owners over MLB TV rights
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