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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Looking South: MLB Hopes Weekend Exhibition Games Help Expand Reach Into Mexico

The Astros and Padres this weekend will play two exhibition games in Mexico City, and MLB "hopes they will gain attention in Mexico, and traction beyond then as well," according to Jim Caple of ESPN.com. MLB Senior VP/Growth, Strategy & Int'l Chris Park said, "This is the first time in over a decade that we have played games in Mexico City. Hopefully, this is just the first taste of being a regular presence in Mexico City and across the country." Caple noted in addition to this weekend's games, the league on Thursday announced it is "opening an office in Mexico City this year." MLB also has a deal with Mexico-based net Televisa to "broadcast a major league game nationwide every Saturday during the regular season." It is "all part of a goal to expand baseball's presence in Mexico." Roughly a dozen players "born in Mexico played" in the majors last season. Park said, "We're looking to have a more structured, more consistent relationship with the fans. Certainly some of our franchises have a real heritage with Mexican fans -- the Dodgers, the Astros, the Padres. Unlike in some other countries around the world, we're not looking at a real uphill battle. There is a very strong base not only of baseball fans in Mexico, but of MLB" (ESPN.com, 3/24). MLB.com's Mark Newman noted Mexico City is the "sixth and newest MLB office" outside the U.S., joining Beijing; London; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Sydney; and Tokyo. Rodrigo Fernández will serve as MLB Mexico Managing Dir and will "manage local business and market development" (MLB.com, 3/24).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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