MLB Network is a television sports channel dedicated to baseball, primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Several media companies, including TNT Sports, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications hold minority stakes. The network provides baseball-related programming, including live games, studio shows, and analysis, serving as a central hub for baseball fans. Its programming covers various aspects of the sport, from current games to historical content.
In 1999, NBA TV was launched, marking the first 24-hour cable network by a major North American professional sports league.
In 2001, the NHL Network was launched, which did not air in the United States until 2007.
In 2003, the NFL Network was launched.
In 2005, the Washington Nationals moved to Washington, D.C., marking their first home postseason game since the move in 2012.
In August 2008, Rogers secured Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval for a Canadian digital channel tentatively called "Baseball TV".
In late November 2008, MLB Network canceled plans to launch permanent studios from a new tower in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood due to the Great Recession.
On December 16, 2008, MLB Network soft-launched with a rolling loop of archival programming and promotions.
On January 1, 2009, MLB Network fully launched at 6:00 p.m. EST with the premiere of Hot Stove.
In 2009, Rob McGlarry joined MLB Network as Senior Vice-president of Business Affairs.
In 2009, the 720p high-definition simulcast of MLB Network launched simultaneously to the regular channel. All studio programs and original shows are shot in HD.
The previous On-Air Graphics Package was in use since New Year's Day 2009.
On March 26, 2010, it was announced that satellite radio station MLB Home Plate would be rebranded to MLB Network Radio and would simulcast some MLB Network programs.
The license secured by Rogers for the Canadian digital channel "Baseball TV" in August 2008 expired in August 2011 without the channel launching.
The network had planned to launch permanent studios from a new tower in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood by 2011.
With the launch of Intentional Talk in 2011, it was one of the first regular programs on television to use a remote production home studio setup on a regular basis, well before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 10, 2012, MLB Strike Zone was launched, providing viewers with up-to-the-minute highlights and live look-ins from every MLB game without commercials.
In April 2012, MLB Network's standard definition feed transitioned to a 16:9 letterbox format, aligning it with the HD feed.
On June 13, 2012, the application for MLB Network to be added to the CRTC's list of approved foreign television services was published for public comment.
On November 12, 2012, MLB Network introduced a third set, "Studio K", for the new daily morning offseason show Hot Stove and guests analysts/insiders on High Heat.
On November 21, 2012, MLB Network's request to be added to the CRTC's list of approved foreign television services was approved, allowing Canadian providers to import the American feed.
In 2012, MLB Network aired its first postseason games, two Division Series games, due to the expansion of the playoffs and the creation of the wild-card round.
In 2012, MLB Network took over the pre-game production responsibilities for the MLB on Fox package, producing Baseball Night in America and postseason pre-game shows.
In 2013, MLB Network reached its peak availability in approximately 71,000,000 pay television households in the United States.
On January 8, 2014, MLB Network was added to Rogers Cable systems in Ontario in both standard and high definition.
In December 2014, Tony Petitti, the first president of MLB Network, was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball and Rob McGlarry became the network's second president.
In 2014, Fox took back control of the pregame show for MLB on Fox when the Game of the Week package was eliminated.
Starting in 2014, as part of Fox's new eight-year rights agreement, MLB Network would air two Division Series games from the league assigned to Fox for each postseason.
On June 3, 2015, SaskTel announced that it would begin carrying MLB Network.
In August 2015, it was announced that MLB Advanced Media would take over the digital properties of the National Hockey League, leading to NHL Network relocating its studios to MLB Network's facilities.
In 2015, MLB Advanced Media took over the management of NHL Network, transferring most operations from Toronto to MLB Network's studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
In 2015, MLB Network introduced a fourth set, "Studio 21", named in honor of Roberto Clemente. The studio hosts the shows MLB Central, MLB Now, and Quick Pitch along with the presentation of the BBWAA Awards.
In February 2016, in honor of the NHL Stadium Series at Coors Field, a scale hockey rink was built on Studio 42 for cross-promotional appearances on NHL Network and MLB Network.
On April 4, 2016, MLB Network introduced a new on-air graphics package optimized for the 16:9 format, replacing the look used since New Year's Day 2009.
On April 14, 2016, it was announced that 25 MLB Network Showcase games would be broadcast in 4K ultra-high definition exclusively on DirecTV in the 2016 season, starting April 15.
In April 2016, NHL Network completed "The Rink," a new dedicated studio at MLB Network's Studio 21 wing.
On March 23, 2017, MLB Network was launched on Bell Fibe TV and Bell Satellite TV.
As of 2017, MLB Network is also available on MTS and Vidéotron in Canada.
As of 2018, MLB Network is carried nationwide in Canada on the DAZN streaming service.
The new MLB Network studio in Elmwood Park will be built at the former site of a paper mill company known as Marcal, which succumbed to a fire in January 2019.
In 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, MLB Network Showcase games were called remotely from Studio K.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated remote production across the television industry, highlighting the earlier adoption of this setup by programs like Intentional Talk in 2011.
After Rose left the network in 2020 and Stephen Nelson was named the new co-host of Intentional Talk in 2021, Nelson co-hosts the show from Studio K.
In 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, MLB Network Showcase games were called remotely from Studio K.
Starting with the 2022 postseason, MLB Network returned the English-language rights to Division Series games to Fox and took the Spanish-language rights to the postseason series carried by TBS.
On January 31, 2023, MLB Network was removed from YouTube TV's channel lineup due to a failed contract renewal agreement.
As of November 2023, MLB Network is available in approximately 31,000,000 pay television households in the United States.
In July 2024, MLB Network launched a direct-to-consumer streaming service which is avaliable for $5.99 a month or free with an MLB.tv subscription.
In 2024, MLB sub-licensed the Spanish-language rights to postseason series carried by TBS to TelevisaUnivision.
In February 2025, MLB Network announced plans to build a new $100 million studio in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, set to open in early 2028.
As of 2025, in addition to Major League Baseball coverage, MLB Network also airs minor league, fall league, international, and college baseball and softball games.
MLB's new studio in Elmwood Park, New Jersey at a construction budget of $100 million, is set to open in early 2028.
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