Major League Baseball (MLB) owners have sold the broadcast rights to all 120 minor league teams to casino operator Bally’s Corp, according to a report in the New York Post. As part of the agreement, Bally’s will offer baseball fans free streams on the Bally Live App.
Players can access the free games on the Bally Live App on April 15.
The New York Post reported that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred pitched the sale “for an undisclosed amount.” The commissioner drafted the deal “as a way to increase the reach of the minor league broadcasts,” according to a shared presentation among MLB team owners.
Bally's is a global casino and entertainment company that owns and manages 14 casinos in 10 US states. Its casino operations have a total of 5,300 hotel rooms, 500 tables games and more than 15,800 slot machines.
Prior to the sale, baseball aficionados could stream games through MLB’s At Bat app, which charged an annual subscription fee of $29.99.
Roughly a month ago, Bally's reported its Q4/FY22 financial results.
Indeed, the operator announced full-year revenue of $2.3bn, after generating $576.7m for Q4.
Bally’s incoming CEO and current President of its Interactive division, Robeson Reeves, said at the time: “We are pleased to have achieved record results in both our Casinos & Resorts and International Interactive segments.
“Our core businesses continue to generate fantastic cash flows. UK revenue grew 12% organically in the fourth quarter as regulations continue to play through, while in December, Asia saw positive year-over-year organic growth, proving that our initiatives to maintain a competitive advantage in that market are effective.
