Major League Baseball on FOX facts for kids
Fox Major League Baseball (also known as Fox MLB or MLB on FS1) is how FOX Sports shows Major League Baseball games on TV. It started on June 1, 1996, and has continued for many years.
How it Started: 1996-2000
On November 7, 1995, Major League Baseball made a deal with both FOX and NBC. Here's how it worked:
- FOX showed regular season games on Saturday afternoons. These usually started around Memorial Day weekend.
- FOX also showed some games from the Division Series.
- FOX and NBC took turns showing the big events each year. This included the All-Star Game, the League Championship Series, and the World Series.
* For example, FOX showed the All-Star Game and the American League Championship Series in odd-numbered years (like 1997, 1999). * In even-numbered years (like 1996, 1998), FOX showed the National League Championship Series and the World Series.
FOX Gets Exclusive Rights: 2001-2006
In September 2000, Major League Baseball and FOX signed a new six-year agreement. This new deal gave FOX more exclusive rights.
- FOX continued to show Saturday baseball games.
- They also kept showing the All-Star Game and some Division Series games.
- Most importantly, FOX got to be the only network showing the League Championship Series and the World Series. This meant they didn't have to share these big events with NBC anymore.
The Latest Contract: 2007-2021
On July 11, 2006, FOX announced that it would continue to show the World Series until at least the 2013 season. This news ended any talk that FOX might stop showing baseball.
Then, on October 17, 2006, more details came out about a new contract:
- FOX would still show the All-Star Game and the World Series.
- They would start showing regular season games earlier, right from the first Saturday of the season.
- For the postseason (after the regular season), FOX would show one League Championship Series each year. They would take turns with another network called TBS. So, FOX would show one League Championship Series, and TBS would show the other.
