MLB Seek to Grow in Chinese Market With Le Sports Deal

Major League Baseball (MLB) has signed a ‘wide-ranging’ three-year partnership with Le Sports, its first national media partnership in China.

The deal will see Le Sports have exclusive rights to live-stream MLB games in China for the first time. 

Along with China, the partnership gives LeTV Sports exclusive rights in Hong Kong and Macau to broadcast about 125 games per year, including the entire World Series.

Le Sports will also hold the rights to rebroadcast those games through video on demand.

In a statement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said: “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.”

MLB’s Senior Vice President of International Strategy Chris Park added: “Growing the game isn’t as simple as turning a fire hose on and making games available.

“It’s about promoting our game and packaging our players and teams in a favorable light, but also about presenting them in a way that is the most culturally relevant.”

Along with MLB, Le Sports’ recently acquired deals include the English Premier League and Wimbledon.

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