MUMBAI: Rupert-Murdoch controlled News Corporation is gearing up to give ESPN a fight in the US. The company has acquired 49 per cent stake in Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (Yes), the cable network channel owned by baseball team New York Yankees and its partners.

The Yes Network delivers exclusive live local television coverage of New York Yankees baseball and Brooklyn Nets basketball, as well as other leading local and national sports-related programming. The Yes Network also announced a media rights agreement that will keep Yankees baseball on the Yes Network through 2042.

The media rights agreement is subject to Major League Baseball approval. The investment is expected to close by the end of the calendar year.

Following the stake acquisition, News Corp-owned Fox Sports Media Group will negotiate distribution deals with the operators on behalf of Yes Network as part of a larger package of sports channels which would allow Yes to raise the subscriber fee. However, Fox sports channels will not manage the channel nor will provide local or national sports programming to Yes.

The current owners - Yankee Global Enterprises, Goldman Sachs and other investors - will reduce their ownership in connection with this transaction. After three years, News Corporation may acquire an additional stake in the Yes Network that could bring its ownership to 80 per cent, at which time Yankee Global Enterprises would retain a significant minority stake in the network.

Since its inception in 2002, Yes has grown its footprint to include local availability in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and parts of Pennsylvania, as well as national availability on several cable and satellite television distributors. The network currently showcases live Yankees and Nets games to approximately 9 million households in the teams? television territory in the New York area. Outside of the New York area, the Yes Network also distributes a variety of national programming to millions of homes across the country.

"We?ve long been a believer in the unique appeal of sports entertainment. Partnering upstream with rights holders is even more important today in the dynamic media marketplace in which we compete. This is a tremendous opportunity to enhance News Corporation?s industry-leading portfolio of sports properties, while also strategically re-entering the New York market," said News Corporation Deputy COO James Murdoch.

"The Yes Network represents the gold standard for regional sports networks and is a pioneer in sports media. We look forward to working with Yankee Global Enterprises, the network?s management team, and all of our partners to build on a decade of success and take the YES Network to even greater heights."

Yankee Global Enterprises Chairman Hal Steinbrenner said, "This transaction underscores the great value we and our partners created in establishing the Yes Network and sets the network on the path for even greater achievements in the future. We are excited to have News Corporation as a partner. Its stature and acumen in sports broadcasting on a global scale is unmatched. We look forward to the many opportunities for growth and development that this investment by News Corporation will bring to Yes. The Steinbrenner family expects to have a continuing, long-term ownership stake in the Yes Network and we will continue our yearly commitment of fielding a championship caliber team for decades to come."

MUMBAI: ESPN and Major League Baseball have reached an eight-year, multiplatform rights extension agreement which will significantly enhance ESPN?s TV, digital, radio and International MLB rights.

While financial details have not been disclosed, the agreement effective 2014 through 2021 is believed to be in the region of $5.6 billion. ESPN had last year extended its deal with National Football League till 2021 for a whopping $15.2 billion.

For MLB, ESPN will pay $700 million a year in rights fee which is double the amount that the cable network pays for the rights currently.

The new agreement will guarantee a 30-plus year continuous relationship between ESPN and MLB - dating back to 1990 - which is one of the longest standing relationships between a network and a league.

The agreement is highlighted by the addition of an annual Wild Card game, the rights to produce a significant amount of additional MLB studio programming hours, 10 additional regular-season games, increased footage and highlights rights across platforms, increased ability to co-exist in local team markets and added content across digital platforms and WatchESPN. In addition, rights across ESPN Radio, ESPN International and ESPN Deportes will expand.

MLB Commissioner Allan H. Selig said, "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am thrilled that we will continue our long-standing relationship with ESPN far into the future. The level of ESPN?s commitment to baseball - both financially and through its expanded content - is a testament to the strength of our game and its unprecedented popularity among our fans. Through its various networks and other media platforms, ESPN offers baseball fans more avenues to experience the game than ever before, and we?re thankful for their continued support."

ESPN President John Skipper said, "We?re thrilled to renew our long-standing agreement with Major League Baseball into the next decade. It?s a great property. The enormous scope of what we acquired will provide fans with more live baseball and more ways to access baseball content than ever before."

ESPN?s expanded MLB package will include the addition of an annual Wild Card game presented by Budweiser, which will alternate between AL and NL each year.

ESPN will also get the rights to produce a significant amount of additional Baseball Tonight hours; the rights to all regular-season tiebreaker games - if necessary; in-progress highlights during SportsCenter on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS; 10 additional regular-season games per season, including four Pennant Chase games in late September and up to six Holiday games across Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day; new and increased co-exist rights on Monday Night Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball; and the rights to produce a new, daily baseball studio show.

The new deal will also include several enhancements to existing rights: increased rights for Sunday Night Baseball exclusive team appearances; more selection flexibility throughout ESPN?s 25-game Sunday Night Baseball slate; increased highlight rights for ESPN websites and applications, additional digital rights for ESPN programs and increased interactive television rights; increased ESPN Radio rights, including the additional right to co-exist during two Saturday windows per team, per year; all MLB-related television content, including games and studio shows, to be available on WatchESPN; continued State Farm Home Run Derby coverage during MLB All-Star, including renewed 3D Derby rights; and renewal and expansion of International rights across territories, including Wild Card games and the rights to additional Baseball Tonight hours.