ESPN will reportedly pay an average of $296 million annually - a 50 per cent increase on its current rights fee.
The deal, which kicks off next season, will see ESPN telecast three MLB windows including Monday nights, Wednesday nights and the exclusive 'Sunday Night Baseball' series.
It provides for a full slate of MLB programming on the cable network, and still allows MLB to create additional national telecast packages for distribution through other outlets, including the Baseball Channel.
The agreement includes rights for ESPN to include Major League Baseball programming as part of its distribution of the ESPN networks via new technologies, designed to ensure that games reach the broadest possible audience.
ESPN/ABC Sports president, George Bodenheimer, said: “We have significantly enhanced the value of our summer cornerstone television programming with increased team appearances on Sunday nights, extensive blackout lift rights on Monday nights and more game and studio flexibility to showcase the great sport of baseball like no other media company.”
