MSN Signs Major League Baseball

MSN has signed a two-year contract with Major League Baseball (MLB), the top professional baseball league in the United States and Canada, to broadcast games online. The deal, for which Microsoft reportedly paid US$40 million, gives the company a highly visible win over rival RealNetworks and adds exclusive content to the other benefits of the MSN Premium subscription service. However, MSN still believes services such as virus protection, rather than content, will be the backbone of MSN Premium.

Subscription-Based and Free Content

Beginning with the 2004 season, which kicks off on Mar. 28, all MSN Premium customers will get MLB All Access at no extra charge. The service includes live video broadcasts of up to 250 games per month (most of which are not televised nationally), live audio broadcasts of all MLB games, and other video content, such as highlights involving specific players and 20-minute condensed games.

Through its network of Web sites, MSN will also resell MLB All Access for US$19.95 per month or US$99.95 per season; MLB.TV, which includes only the video broadcasts, for US$14.95 per month or US$79.95 per season; and Gameday Audio, which includes only the audio broadcasts, for US$14.95 per season. Microsoft also said that the games would be accessible from Portable Media Center devices—presumably through a link within the Portable Media Center interface—when the devices launch later in 2004. These MLB services are also sold through MLB.com for the same price, but MSN Premium is a better deal, as it costs only US$9.95 per month and includes many other features. (AOL has also signed a deal with MLB to provide Gameday Audio and selected video content to its broadband customers at no extra cost.)