MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and internet arm of the League, says it increased it number of direct subscribers by almost 200 percent with over 500,000 fans subscribing to various forms of its paid content during 2003, including over 150,000 MLB.TV subscribers.
MLB.com had 170,000 subscribers in 2002.
In addition, another 3.5m fans accessed some of MLB.com's subscription content through its wholesale partners, AOL and RealNetworks, during this year.
Long seen as one of the sport sector’s main innovators in online content, the site claims to have offered more live events on the internet ‘than any other website in the world’, with over 40,000 hours of live programming in 2003.
Fans listened or watched nearly 600m minutes of streaming audio and video during 2003, 43 percent more than in 2002.
Said George Kliavkoff, senior vice president for business development at MLBAM: “We have demonstrated the pay-for-content model works.
"Our mission is to deliver the game to baseball fans around the globe, how they want it and when they want it.
“Fans understand the value of the unique and compelling content that we offer on MLB.com."
