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MLB’s Brewing Bidding War

I’m told that several of the world’s biggest media and technology companies—Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, and NBCUniversal—are checking in with MLB on a regular basis about the possibility of getting local rights as they come available.

ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro warms up before catching a ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Fenway Park in Boston
“If Major League Baseball is able to put together a group of teams, we would love to be able to do a larger deal,” Pitaro said. Photo: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
John Ourand
August 29, 2024

Don’t worry, dear reader, this story isn’t actually about regional sports networks—it’s merely R.S.N.-adjacent. But the potential collapse of Diamond Sports Group, a bankruptcy journey that has become one of the great leitmotifs of the Varsity cinematic universe, has created a fascinating emerging opportunity—and potential bidding war—for some far larger players. I’m told that several of the world’s biggest media and technology companies—Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, and NBCUniversal—are checking in with MLB on a regular basis about the possibility of getting local rights as they come available. A Diamond default would strike the mother lode.