As streaming services continue to gain prominence in broadcasting live sports, speculation has arisen that an event like the Super Bowl could potentially become a streaming-exclusive event in the future. It’s a topic that has concerned many traditionalists and longtime fans.
What if the MLB opted to make the World Series exclusively available for streaming?
This is the possibility Richard Deitsch outlined in a column on Friday, presenting a hypothetical scenario in which the World Series becomes a streaming-exclusive event by 2032.
While this possibility hasn’t been teased yet by the MLB, it’s not the first time someone has wondered about this kind of outcome.
As part of Deitsch’s column, several MLB broadcasters were asked how they would feel about this scenario. Toronto Blue Jays TV play-by-play broadcaster Dan Shulman and New York Yankees radio play-by-play voice Dave Sims were asked to weigh in on the possibility. Neither were all that eager to see this potential change, though they did acknowledge that it could one day be a reality.
“As a baseball person, I’m not ready to emotionally cross that bridge yet,” said Shulman. “I’m 58 years old and I would say I’m average in technology. Sometimes I can find stuff, sometimes I gotta call my son and say, how can I get the Maple Leafs game tonight and he tells me. There are a lot of people watching the World Series who are a little bit older than me who are not as comfortable with technology. But I totally get it. We’re on our way to being dinosaurs. I’m just not ready to go through that portal yet for the World Series.”
Sims took an even more rigid stance on the matter, explaining that it would be “tragic” if this scenario were to unfold.
“It would be tragic, not right, incorrect,” said Sims. “I mean, I grew up hearing the Gillette theme song and Mel Allen saying, ‘This is Mel Allen, and welcome to the World Series.’ If it’s still going to be one of the great pastimes in the country, you can’t hold a gun to someone’s head and make them pay. I hope it doesn’t happen. I mean, I can see it happening, but I hope not.”
We already know that the MLB is reportedly aiming to create national packages for major streaming companies to bid on by 2028, which is when the league’s TV rights deal with Fox, the broadcast home of the World Series, is set to expire. So, who is to say a major streaming service doesn’t seriously vie for the rights to the World Series if the league doesn’t reach an extension with Fox?
At the very least, it seems clear that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, along with other MLB executives, is well aware of the direction that live sports broadcasts are headed, given the increased presence of streaming services. So, even if a streaming-exclusive World Series doesn’t ultimately happen, it is fair to expect more streaming-exclusive regular season games to follow very shortly.