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ESPN and Major League Baseball International announced on Thursday a multi-year extension of their current European television rights agreement, which will make ESPN America the continued home of MLB games across more than 40 countries and nearly 19 million households across Europe. The deal also extends to other ESPN networks, such as the company's ESPN channel in the UK, which will show multiple live games each week throughout the season.
The deal will provide baseball fans with the most extensive season-long coverage of Major League Baseball to date, including pre-season Spring Training games, more than 300 regular season games, the entire MLB Playoffs - including the Division Series, American League and National League Championship Series and the World Series. The agreement will also include rights to the annual MLB All-Star programming which includes the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, Futures Game and Celebrity Softball Game.
This year's coverage of the new Major League Baseball season begins on March 31, with a triple header as the New York Yankees open their campaign against the Detroit Tigers at 17:00 GMT (18:00 CET), followed by the San Diego Padres at St Louis Cardinals and capped off with the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants visiting the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
On ESPN in the UK, MLB coverage will begin April 2 with an early season showdown as the Boston Red Sox visit last season's American League Champions, the Texas Rangers. Coverage of the opening week also includes Minnesota Twins visiting New York to take on the Yankees and the New York Mets travelling down the coast to take on National League rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jeroen Oerlemans, vice president, programming, ESPN International, said: "Around the world, ESPN and Major League Baseball have worked together to bring the sport of baseball to fans for decades now, and we are delighted to continue that long-standing and successful relationship. This agreement will allow ESPN's networks, led by ESPN America, to bring more baseball to fans than ever before."
"Renewing our agreement with ESPN allows baseball fans around the world to continue enjoying Major League Baseball from Opening Day through the World Series," said Paul Archey, senior vice President, international business operations, Major League Baseball. "We are looking forward to once again working with ESPN to connect with our current fan base and to continue our commitment to develop new fans of the game globally."
ESPN will also continue to surround its live and as-live coverage of baseball with award-winning programmes, such as Baseball Tonight and This Week in Baseball as well as usage of archive games and instant classics across ESPN's European networks.
ESPN AMERICA: MARCH-APRIL SPRING TRAINING & REGULAR SEASON 2011 MLB SCHEDULE
Opening Day
31 March 1600 GMT/1700 CET ESPN's Baseball Tonight
31 March 1700 GMT/1800 CET Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees
31 March 2000 GMT/2100 CET San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals
31 March 2300 GMT/0000 CET ESPN's Baseball Tonight
1 April 0000 GMT/0100 CET San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular Season
1 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies
1 April 2000 GMT/2100 CET Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers
2 April 1700 GMT/2000 CET Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals
4 April 0000 GMT/0100 CET San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
4 April 1800 GMT/1900 CET Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers
6 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET Los Angeles Angles at Tampa Bay Rays
7 April 1900 GMT/2000 CET New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
8 April 1800 GMT/1900 CET New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
9 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
11 April 0000 GMT/0100 CET New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
11 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers
12 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers
12 April 2300 GMT/0000 CET Florida Marlins at Atlanta Braves
13 April 0200 GMT/0500 CET Cincinnati at San Diego
13 April 1800 GMT/1900 CET Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox
14 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET Colorado Rockies at New York Mets
16 April 0130 GMT/0230 CET San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks
16 April 1700 GMT/1800 CET Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians
16 April 2000 GMT/2100 CET Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays
18 April 0000 GMT/0100 CET Texas Rangers at New York Yankees
18 April 1500 GMT/1600 CET Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
ESPN (UK): APRIL REGULAR SEASON 2011 MLB SCHEDULE
2 April 0100 GMT Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers
4 April 0000 GMT Minnesota Twins at NY Yankees
5 April 0000 GMT NY Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
11 April 0000 GMT Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
12 April 0000 GMT Florida Marlins at Atlanta Braves
18 April 0000 GMT Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies
25 April 0000 GMT Chicago White Sox at NY Yankees
26 April 0000 GMT Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
