Yahoo Sports has called off a planned New York Mets-focused subscription website before the project even got off the ground.
According to reports, Yahoo had signed a three-year deal with the Mets for the site, which was due to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to batting practices, press conferences and front office staff members. Four writers had been hired for the project.
The website, due to be named the Flushing Meadows Baseball Club, initially expected to launch on March 28 and cost subscribers $4.99 or $5.99 per month.
Yahoo had reportedly signed a $1m (€898,000) deal with the Mets but there was was criticism from the outset that the company was paying for coverage. Yahoo also planned to expand the model to other major pro sports teams, but this will now not happen.
“We’ve realized that there are opportunities which have the ability to scale faster and give fans what they want quicker,” a Yahoo spokesman told the New York Post. “We’ve learned a ton during this exploration and intend to use these insights to inform the future of the fan experience through Yahoo Sports.”
