by Robert Jones
TWO of the more successful Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises are set to face off at the London Stadium, when the New York Yankees and defending champion Boston Red Sox meet in late June.
The two games will be on the 29th and 30th of June after the MLB and BBC came to an agreement on a two-year deal starting this year.
The fixtures that have been set are the first games to be played on British soil and BBC sport live streaming executive editor Victoria Cotton spoke on behalf of the BBC about the impact and excitement around this move. “We’re very excited to bring the MLB London series to free-to-air audiences across the country for the first-ever time this summer.”
MLB follows in the footsteps of the NFL and NBA, who both have international series that take place in London every year. One of the reasons for the Boston Red Sox to play at London is their owner John, W Henry who is the owner of Liverpool Football Club.
The Major league has already had games in Mexico, Australia and Japan, but with a huge market in the UK and a sizeable demand for it, this was a natural step to take. These two fixtures will be the first games to be played in Europe altogether.
You can already watch the MLB as a viewer in the UK as it is broadcasted on BT Sport, who have recently extended their partnership which will show games through until 2021.
Richard Roberts, Mitel vice-president for UK/Ireland, spoke to Sportcal before the agreement was reached and said “Anything that connects the fans should be encouraged, He went on to add “As soon we knew the intent of the MLB to come to the UK, to Europe, we had to be a part of it.”
Mitel is the telecommunication company that is the official oversees series business technology and communication partner, that will provide communications solutions in London over both years of the planned games.