MLB: Facebook to broadcast 25 exclusive games in 2018, a first for GAFA in US sports

Facebook has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights, in the United States, of 25 MLB games for the 2018 season (one per week from 04/04/2018), on 09/03/2018. This is the first time that the games of one of the major North American leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB) will be broadcast exclusively in the United States by one of the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon).

The 25 games, which will be broadcast in the United States on Facebook Watch, a service that is part of the social network platform dedicated to video programmes, that was launched in the United States at the end of August 2017, will also be available internationally, except in "certain markets", explained the MLB on 09/03/2018. Facebook would pay between $30m and $35m (between €24m and €28m) for the acquisition of these rights according to the US financial press.

Facebook acquired the broadcast rights of 20 MLB games for the 2017 season on 18/05/2017, but these matches were co-broadcast by television channels.

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