Sixty games reportedly is the magic number for how national television deals could extend if there’s an MLB labor fight. Lose that many in 2027, and most national TV deals extend by a year according to reporting by The Athletic.
What We Know: MLB owners appear ready to lock out players in early December, when the current labor deal expires. In a detailed report by Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand, if a lockout erases 60 or more 2027 games, most national deals will then extend through 2029. Even so, FOX Sports, TNT Sports and other partners will still owe MLB more than $2 billion for 2027, games or not. Locally, most RSN deals promise 125 to 145 games, so pro-rata rebates would start much sooner.
What They Said: Craig Sloan of Playfly (via The Athletic): “It’s a massive incentive for these entities to come together to a resolution. Because no one wants to delay what will be a multiple in growth on the total media rights being brought to market.”
Patrick Crakes, current media consultant and former FOX Sports executive (via The Athletic): “If we do lose a bunch of games, the remedy could get wrapped up into the new deal.”
What Remains Unclear: Nobody knows yet whether a shutdown will actually shorten the 162-game season. Additionally, the calendar could shift. MLB currently plans to open the season on March 24. As a result, the real 60-game cutoff probably lands in June. Also the actual labor stoppage is still unknown if it will happen or not.
What It Means: Ultimately, 60 games gives both sides leverage. Owners want the next national windfall, especially after the NBA landed about $7 billion a year. However, clubs that lost RSN deals now earn roughly half their old local money. Consequently, some owners may accept a longer stoppage, while larger markets may not. Whether or not there will be any stoppage is still uncertain.
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