MLB Makes Deal With Fox and TBS, Only Good Comes of It?

There’s a reason for that question mark up there because, as a baseball fan, I’m used to every deal that is good for the sport (and by that I mean the owners) being bad for the baseball fans. So far, I think this is only a good thing.

Today the league announced an eight year extension with FOX and TBS starting in 2014, leaving FOX in charge of the All-Star game and World Series and splitting the rest of the playoffs with TBS. The deal, combined with the recent one struck with ESPN, will give the sport $12.4 billion over the next eight years that will be split evenly between the thirty clubs. Meaning that your team will have a little more cash to spend soon or every team will be moving to East Egg.

But here’s the great news, in 2014 there will be no more out-of-market blackouts during Fox’s Saturday broadcasts. Finally, if you don’t feel like watching the eighteenth Red Sox-Yankees game of the year, you won’t have to. Of course, since I’m prone to cynicism, I assume that the tradeoff will be that Bud Selig will have the right to trade places with you should he ever be arrested of murder. Or that by signing up for MLB.tv, you renounce your citizenship. Until I hear otherwise, I’m assuming that’s the answer.