The Major League Baseball season was imperiled — again — after the union countered what owners viewed as a done deal. Plus: ESPN and Fox are at odds over production costs for next month’s MLS is Back tournament; news on Keyshawn Johnson’s likely move to ESPN’s morning radio show; and more.
MLB owners recoil after players counter
The Major League Baseball Players Association on Thursday countered the league’s Wednesday proposal for a 60-game regular season with a 70-game plan, angering team owners who believed that a deal was done, according to multiple reports. The league is expected to reject the union proposal and submit its own counter, per USA Today.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday that a 70-game schedule was “simply impossible” due to public health concerns. It is widely assumed that the pandemic baseball delayed its season to avoid will increase in severity during the winter months. The players’ plan would have the season end on September 30, three days later than the league’s desired end date of September 27. [USA Today 6.18; ESPN.com 6.18, LA Times 6.18]
ESPN, Fox, differ on production costs for MLS tournament
ESPN, which is producing the entirety of next month’s scheduled “MLS is Back Tournament” at Walt Disney World, is having a “difficult time” agreeing on how to split production costs for games televised by Fox Sports and Univision, according to The Athletic.
Per the report, ESPN is expected to spend $125,000 per game on the tournament, while Fox does not want to spend more than the $75,000 it usually incurs for MLS broadcasts. In addition, Fox is said to be miffed over its lack of involvement in the tournament’s creation. [The Athletic 6.17]
All signs point to Keyshawn Johnson on ESPN morning show
ESPN is increasingly likely to tap Keyshawn Johnson for its morning radio show — currently hosted by Trey Wingo and Mike Golic — but a deal is not yet done, according to the New York Post. The Post reported last week that ESPN and Johnson were “far apart” in negotiations.
Since being dropped from ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown in 2016, Johnson has served as host for ESPN Radio in Los Angeles. [NYP 6.17]
Plus: NWSL, FA Cup, US Open
Both of the NWSL matches on CBS this season — the North Carolina-Portland season opener on June 27 and the July 26 championship — will begin at 12:30 PM ET. All matches in the NWSL’s shortened tournament format will begin at 12:30 or 10 PM. … The flagship ESPN network will carry a pair of FA Cup matches on the weekend of June 27-28, including Norwich City-Manchester United on June 27. All other matches, including the August 1 final, will air on ESPN Plus. … The USTA officially announced this week that the US Open will go on as scheduled August 31-September 13, but with no fans in attendance. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will also host the preceding Western & Southern Open, which usually takes place in Cincinnati. [CBS Sports, ESPN PR 6.18, US Open 6.17]
