Many people have lamented the disjointed nature of the MLB television contracts, with games airing on ESPN, TBS, FOX, FS1, AppleTV+, and Peacock, in addition to regional sports networks. You can add 610 Sports Radio morning host Bob Fescoe to that growing list.
“At this point in time, baseball doesn’t care if you find them,” Fescoe said. “We seemingly have more of a problem with it than they do. They don’t care if you can’t get their television anywhere, they don’t care if you don’t watch their nationally televised games. We’re just gonna put them on and hopefully if you’re not, so be it. That doesn’t scream to me ‘That’s how you grow a sport’. We’re gonna put it in whatever venue and whatever time and if you’re there, fine.
“Really? You think that’s gonna work for you? I hate to say, here in Kansas City on Saturday that the Current are playing for the NWSL Championship Saturday. People in Kansas City are gonna be watching that. They’re not gonna be watching the World Series. People aren’t gonna go find the World Series. On a Friday and Saturday?”
Co-host Josh Klingler then commented that the Kansas City Current game was on CBS Sports Network, which he called “fringe” television. Fescoe said baseball has also been on “fringe” channels.
“You wanna talk about fringe, where has baseball been all year? Baseball’s been on FS1, TBS, Apple, nowhere. They’ve been fringe for a very long time. They’re moving more towards National Women’s Soccer League type telecasts and places for that on the ‘plus’ side of things, to places where you need a subscription versus being on the mainstream. Is the World Series even on big FOX this year? I don’t know! They had Championship Series games on FS1!”
“I know,” admitted Klingler. “That’s not smart either. It’s just not popular enough to put every playoff game on over the air.”
The World Series begins Friday with all seven potential games airing on FOX.
