Yahoo Sports is launching its own league of "digital subscription products" and todayannounced a "paid, ad-free subscription site and app" around the Mets called Queens Baseball Club, according to Max Willens of DIGIDAY. Subscribers to the service, which was developed with the Mets, will "get access to exclusive content including interviews with front office executives, as well as a host of community features such as message boards and chat tools." Over time, the service "intends to add an experiential dimension, which may involve access to players, coaches and team alumni." The two parties have "yet to settle on a price," though sources expect it to land at about $5 per month. Queens Baseball Club plans to "hire three full-time reporters, plus additional contributors, to generate content." Yahoo "declined to offer details" about how it was being compensated, or whether Yahoo or the Mets would "own the customer relationship." Yahoo Sports "feels it can replicate this product with other MLB teams, as well as across the major North American sports." Yahoo Sports is currently "negotiating deals with 'several' franchises across multiple different sports" and expects to "launch at least a dozen similar products" for different teams throughout '19. The Mets have agreed to "'enthusiastically' promote Queens Baseball Club across its channels," including promotions at Citi Field, on SNY and through paid marketing campaigns" (DIGIDAY.com, 2/20).
NO SPECIFIC MEMBERSHIP GOALS: Yahoo Sports GM Geoff Reiss said that there is “no membership-number goal,” and he will judge the services’ success “based on the aggregate number of subscribers, not on how each team reaches a specific goal.” In N.Y., Andrew Marchand notes DKPittsburghSports.com’s Dejan Kovacevic will be “serving as a consultant on the project” (N.Y. POST, 2/20).
