MLB Network gearing up to air first postseason games; CEO says ‘critical’ for network

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It’s one thing to have a slew of regular-season games and talk 24/7 about baseball. The postseason, though, is what drives the most eyeballs to a network.

So it is a big deal that the MLB Network will be airing two Division Series games; Sunday and next Wednesday. And it is even bigger that the new MLB TV package starting in 2014 will enable MLB Network to continue to show two Division Series games.

“The addition of the games is critical to us,” said MLB CEO Tony Petitti. “It shows the commitment the commissioner and Major League Baseball have to the growth and success of the network. Moving forward, it is an important showcase for our network. It gives us a nice focal point at the end of the season.”

Will those two playoff games help MLB Network expand its distribution? Currently, the network is in 70 million homes.

That seems to be the point of this exercise.

“Obviously, there is a relationship between strength of content and growth and distribution,” Petitti said. “We feel this is important content. It will help us in our task.”

Bob Costas, MLB’s signature game voice, won’t be able to do the Sunday game because of his NBC football commitment. Instead, Matt Vasgersian will join Jim Kaat.

Costas will call Wednesday’s game with Kaat. It’ll be his first postseason game in 12 years.

 

 

2 thoughts on “MLB Network gearing up to air first postseason games; CEO says ‘critical’ for network”

  1. As a fan, I’m appalled MLB has chosen to televise Game 2 of the AL Division Series exclusively on MLB Network, a premium pay channel. It’s bad enough that the cost of attending a live game has skyrocketed during the recession; now certain playoff games are only accessible to those who can afford premium pay channels. I attend games and buy products from mlb.com, but can take my entertainment dollars elsewhere and will encourage friends to do the same if this is how MLB thanks its fans.

  2. All the baseball announcers on TBS should be replaced. When the Cardinals played Pittsburgh they were bias against St. Louis and pro Pittsburgh. Even after St. Louis won all they could talk about was how Pittsburgh lost and not giving the Cardinals much credit for winning the game. Now the same bias against St. Louis playing Los Angles. I expect it on ESPN but not on TBS. Please
    do something to correct this, it is so obvious.

    Concerned fan

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