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On Wednesday, MLB announced a new wide-ranging three-year partnership with Le Sports, China’s top internet-based eco-sports company, which will be highlighted by the live streaming of MLB games on the China mainland.
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Commissioner Rob Manfred, chief operating officer Tony Petitti and senior vice president of growth, strategy and international Chris Park represented MLB at the announcement, which was made at the*Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Le Sports chairman Fei Gao, CEO Zhenjian Lei and vice president of strategy Hang Yu were also involved in the press conference, which was also streamed back to China.
As part of the agreement, Le Sports will hold exclusive media rights in China to broadcast 125 MLB games per season through its internet platform, mobile applications, and OTT Devices. The agreement will include up to 96 regular season games, 20 postseason games, the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, and each game in the World Series, which will give new and greater meaning to these games being played on a "worldwide stage."
“By working with MLB in China over the past three years on events, we saw just how appealing the league is to Chinese families, and how popular the games and MLB players have become to young sports fans in China,"*Zhenjian Lei said in a press release. "We are excited to expand and extend our partnership with MLB.”
Rob Manfred, who will enter his second year as MLB commissioner, added: “This historic partnership with Le Sports exemplifies Major League Baseball’s diversified approach to serving international communities. We are delighted to showcase major league games in Mandarin throughout the distinctive, ever-growing ecosystem of LeSports devices and apps. China is a crucial frontier for the development of baseball. Our new, prominent place on Le Sports platforms both reaffirms and expands our commitment to growing the game in China.”
It sounds like a terrific agreement for all parties involved. It allows MLB to reach a broader audience and continue building its brand into something that is truly global. For Le Sports, it opens the door to a relationship that should prove beneficial as baseball's popularity grows in China. The biggest winners though will be the fans, who will now have more baseball right at their fingertips.*
[Elsewhere: Watch Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza's reaction to Hall election]
“Over the last decade, MLB has worked steadily to lay a lasting foundation for baseball in China,” said Tony Petitti. “We have made remarkable progress developing uniquely Chinese baseball content, enriching the curricula of local schools, and mentoring the first generation of top-flight homegrown players. This partnership is an encouraging inflection point in the story of MLB China. Le Sports is an invaluable media platform for global sports brands and will enhance all aspects of our presence in China.”
Baseball's evolution and continued growth will be vital to MLB's long term success. Consider Wednesday's big announcement a big step toward further securing that already bright future.
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