[Bcatswin]

ESPN has been carrying Major League Baseball for more than two decades. That relationship has been extended for another eight years.

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Aug 28, 2012 - The rich keep getting richer and richer.
Recently, I wrote here about the Los Angeles Dodgers working on new local TV deals that could be worth as much as $8 billion over a 20-year period, a possible average of $400 million per season.
Tuesday, it was revealed that one of Major League Baseball's national TV partners, ESPN, is re-upping with the league in a deal that could be worth $700 million per year:

ESPN has agreed to a deal that locks down MLB rights into the next decade, according to several sources. The eight-year deal is worth $5.6B (an average of $700M per year), approximately doubling the nearly $306M ESPN currently pays MLB every year for domestic TV rights.

The deal also includes radio rights that could be worth $50 million; ESPN would continue its Sunday Night Baseball franchise, do other games during the week, and carry one wild-card game. This also will not surprise you:

ESPN also picked up rights to carry games featuring more popular teams, like the Yankees and Red Sox, more frequently.

And, as Maury Brown notes, there's more money to come from other TV partners:

Before any expenses, as part of new ESPN deal w/MLB, ea club gets approx. $23.33M a yr. up from $10.2M. And think: FOX, TBS still to renew
— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) August 28, 2012

The rich, as noted, keep getting richer. Much richer.

[milwaukee mike]

an extra $13 million/year for each team?

that's big

[DerekMadden]

maybe this means more, better games?

[Holtgetsback]

Good to hear.

Lot of $$$ in baseball

[Brock Landers]

who cares

i have the package on MLB.TV and Directv

ESPN is irrelevant, except for sunday night game of the week

[Smutbucket]

I care, this is awesome news, especially a slap in the face to the 'tards saying baseball is dieing.....ITS ALIVE AND WELL!