• by Wayne Friedman , September 15, 2005

Although it didn't pursue the weakening sports league NHL, ESPN wasn't about to let go its bigger sports property--Major League Baseball. ESPN has struck a new eight-year, $2.4 billion deal with MLB, in which it will increase the number of regular season games up to 80 per season.

Starting next year, ESPN will add a mostly non-exclusive Monday night game. ESPN will continue to air its Sunday Night exclusive broadcast and its non-exclusive Wednesday night game.

TV programmers are concerned that baseball may be adding too many TV games--which could create a glut and sink TV viewership. But Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball, says that's not the case.

"I don't worry about a glut," said Selig, in a conference call with reporters. "When you look at our attendance numbers, we have had record attendance." He added that MLB fans are interested in the sport "365 days a year."

As part of the deal, ESPN rights extend to other digital platforms. Although it doesn't have plans to do so in the immediate future, ESPN has the right to air full games on the mobile phones and in other digital areas, said George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN/ABC Sports. Rumors abound that Comcast Corp. and its OLN network--which just grabbed the NHL package from ESPN, which had the right to match OLN's offer--would be making a play for a national cable baseball package of its own.

Selig wouldn't comment about any other deals. "We do not have the exclusive cable rights here," said ESPN's Bodenheimer. Currently, Turner Broadcasting's TBS airs a national cable package of Atlanta Braves games.

ESPN recently made another push for a big sports night on Mondays. Earlier this year, ESPN inked a deal in which it will take over the NFL's "Monday Night Football" games from sister network ABC, starting in 2006.

The Major League Baseball national broadcast package is still with Fox, which also include playoffs. Currently, MLB is working on a new agreement with Fox, said Selig.