ESPN and Major League Baseball have not held talks since the former opted out of its contract in February. Plus: ESPN is reportedly considering Peter Schrager for a potential “Around the Horn” replacement; the Indiana Fever have launched a direct-to-subscriber streaming service.
ESPN, MLB, have not held talks since opt-out
ESPN and Major League Baseball have not returned to the negotiating table since the network opted out of its current deal in February, according to John Ourand of Puck. While ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro has consistently expressed a desire to resume talks, there has been little if any indication of reciprocal interest by MLB.
According to Ourand, Pitaro recently told reporters his assumption is that MLB is “out there testing the market, which is their right to do.”
Upon announcing ESPN’s opt-out in February, Manfred said he hoped to have “at least two potential options” to replace ESPN “over the next few weeks.” In the three months since, signs of progress have been scarce.
ESPN considering Schrager as it looks to replace “Horn”
ESPN is considering a daily sports show headlined by new addition Peter Schrager as it seeks to fill the hole in its lineup created by the cancellation of “Around the Horn,” according to Alex Sherman of CNBC. While Schrager is primarily an NFL analyst and arrived at ESPN from NFL Network, any potential show would likely have a broader focus. Per Sherman, ESPN considers Schrager an “all-sports” personality.
“Around the Horn” airs its final show a week from Friday, after which ESPN will air “SportsCenter” in its timeslot.
Fever launch direct-to-subscriber streaming service
The WNBA Indiana Fever announced Thursday the launch of a direct-to-subscriber streaming service that will distribute the team’s locally-produced game telecasts within its Midwest viewing territory. Titled “Fever Direct,” the service will cost $30 for the full season.
While 43 of 44 Fever games are set to air on a national linear or streaming platform, the team has an 18-game schedule of local broadcasts that will co-exist with the league’s non-exclusive national windows (on Prime Video, NBA TV, CBS Sports Network and ESPN3). The local schedule begins with Monday’s game against the Atlanta Dream and includes a July 5 game against the Sparks that is not set for any national distribution.
As was the case last year, those locally-produced Fever telecasts will be available on affiliates in 11 different Midwestern markets from Davenport, Iowa to Louisville, Kentucky.
The Fever are not the only WNBA team with a direct-to-subscriber streaming option, but their plan is the most expensive. The Liberty and Mercury have services that each cost $15 for the full season.
