Rob Manfred believes in-market streaming of games will happen this year

New commissioner Rob Manfred believes Major League Baseball will allow in-market streaming of games as soon as this season. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Manfred expressed confidence in some type of deal being made soon.

WSJ: You’ve discussed how important technology is to reach young fans. When will a 15-year-old in New York be able to watch a Yankees game on his phone?

Manfred: The best way to answer that question is to say the better part of my workday today was consumed by the topic of in-market streaming. It is particularly complicated in the context of a media market that is changing so quickly, but I do believe we will get a solution on in-market streaming in the relatively near future.

WSJ: Sometime this year?

Manfred: I hope so. I’d like to believe there will be games streamed at some point this year.

The New York Post recently released a report suggesting a deal was close, but this appears to be the first time Manfred has spoken publicly about the possibility of in-market streaming this season.

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As Forbes notes, however, the deal may not come before opening day. While MLB is fighting in favor of in-market streaming, their attempts are being blocked by networks and distributors such as FOX or Comcast.

Those distributors have a significant amount of money at stake, as television deals between networks and clubs have skyrocketed lately. The latest team to get in on the craze is the Arizona Diamondbacks. The franchise reportedly signed a cable deal worth over $1 billion with Fox Sports Arizona, according to The Arizona Republic. If MLB Advanced Media were allowed to stream games, the fear is that subscribers would ditch cable deals in favor of MLB.TV.

That’s a real concern, as MLB’s digital products have done extremely well in recent seasons. MLB.TV Premium and the At Bat app combined for 3.5 million paid subscribers in 2014, highest among all sports leagues according to Forbes. It’s important to note that MLB is not seeking to restrict FOX or Comcast to carry games. The league prefers to make games available on all platforms.

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Can MLB agree on a deal that satisfies both networks and distributors? That remains the issue. The positive here is that Manfred, and the league, appears willing to allow in-market streaming, and that would be a major boost for fans.

Since he was named commissioner, Manfred has embraced radical ideas, and seems more open-minded than his predecessor. Based on his recent comments about in-market streaming, it appears he’s willing to live up to that reputation.

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