After "months of negotiations," MLB announced that
because ESPN "plans to bump its final three Sunday night
baseball games in September to ESPN2" in favor of NFL games,
MLB "has taken back the games and will return local
television rights to the six clubs involved," according to
Scott Hettrick of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. An MLB
spokesperson "said further action against ESPN, including a
suit, has not been ruled out." MLB President & COO Paul
Beeston: "These will be important and critical games in
September, and we are disappointed that ESPN has chosen not
to carry our games. ESPN2 was never an option. Our
contract specifies that Sunday games are to be on ESPN."
Hettrick reports that ESPN "might seek compensation for the
three lost baseball games." ESPN issued a statement saying
that MLB's action "violates our contract, which expressly
provides for pre-emption and distribution on ESPN2." The
three MLB games in question are September 6, Giants-Dodgers;
September 13, Cardinals-Astros; and September 20, Yankees-
Orioles (Scott Hettrick, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/19).
ESPN'S COVERAGE: Forty-one minutes into the 6:30pm ET
edition of "SportsCenter," ESPN's Larry Beil said: "Major
League Baseball today informed ESPN that it is withdrawing
three games scheduled for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball
telecast in September, and is returning them to the
individual teams involved to make their own local television
arrangements." With less than 10 minutes remaining in the
11:00pm ET edition of "SportsCenter," ESPN's Steve Levy
reported the same announcement, and like Beil, read ESPN's
statement in its entirety ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 8/18). The
AP version of the MLB story is also displayed on the upper
right side of ESPN SportsZone under the header: "MLB Sacks
ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball In September" (THE DAILY).
