YouTube and Major League Baseball have partnered to bring baseball to a new audience this season. Through the “MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube” initiative, YouTube will broadcast nearly two dozen games for free on their streaming platform. The series will kick off at Fenway Park as the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Boston Red Sox on April 1. Other matchups will include the Los Angeles, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
“The fun and creative engagement opportunities featured in the MLB Game of the Week on YouTube allow us to connect with baseball fans on another level and bring them closer to the game,” Dominick Balsamo of Major League Baseball said in a statement.
Coverage will include 30-minute pregame and postgame shows. MLB Network will provide production crews for each streamed matchup.
This is the latest evolution in Major League Baseball’s relationship with YouTube. In 2019, the two parties partnered to broadcast 13 games. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two groups only partnered to broadcast four games last season. Moving forward, it appears that Major League Baseball will take more chances with streaming their product to new audiences across various platforms.
MLB Game of the Week Live on @YouTube is BACK for the 2021 season!
Check out the first 3 matchups! https://t.co/NM4tmRuajL pic.twitter.com/PRcTQFQosk
— MLB (@MLB) March 15, 2021
