YouTube and Major League Baseball, two leading pioneers in making streaming video entertainment a fact of modern digital life, announced a multi-faceted partnership on Tuesday that will drive fan excitement for the 113th World Series while showcasing another cool way for baseball fans to watch the national pastime.
As part of the partnership, YouTube TV -- a new cable-free, live-TV service -- will serve as the presenting sponsor of this month's Fall Classic with a variety of national TV spots and on-air call-outs on FOX during each game, branding across MLB's digital properties and official social media accounts, as well as in-stadium promotion.
YouTube TV is also expected to incorporate MLB players competing in the postseason in its promotional efforts. YouTube TV launched in April 2017 to provide audiences around the country a new, more flexible way to enjoy their favorite live TV programming -- including sports -- outside of a traditional cable subscription. The service is currently launched in 49 TV markets, representing two-thirds of the country.
• Postseason schedule: World Series begins Oct. 24
To bridge digital audiences to the World Series and raise awareness of YouTube TV as a new way to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year, the partnership will also see the two parties engaging MLB players and YouTube creators to take fans behind the scenes of the Series. They will generate original, World Series-themed content featuring special access at the participating ballparks, engagement with MLB players and personalities, and sights and sounds of all aspects of the Fall Classic.
MLB and YouTube also will give a few lucky fans the chance of a lifetime to experience the World Series in-person as a VIP including behind-the-scenes access and an opportunity to be highlighted during the FOX national broadcast.
"We built a cable-free service that makes it easier than ever for fans to get access to their favorite live TV programming -- including amazing live sporting events like the World Series on FOX," said Kelly Merryman, YouTube's managing director of content partnerships. "When we were thinking about partnerships to showcase the power of YouTube TV, Major League Baseball and the World Series was the perfect fit. It's a great next step in our long-term relationship with the league."
MLB Advanced Media has been an innovator in the digital sports arena, investing in engaging fans on YouTube for years, as well as through a broad range of digital platforms and products, including MLB.TV, the Internet's No. 1 sports streaming service, and MLB.com At Bat, the all-time No. 1 sports app. The YouTube TV partnership builds upon MLB's longtime strategy to reach fans wherever they are.
This year alone, for example, MLB's engagement and content strategy on YouTube has generated more than 1 billion views.
"We are proud to team with You Tube on its first major partnership to help raise national awareness for YouTube TV," said Noah Garden, MLB's executive vice president of business. "YouTube TV is an exciting new offering for fans providing them with increased flexibility to enjoy FOX's broadcast of the Fall Classic on any device."
"This is an exciting time for FOX Sports, Major League Baseball and the industry as a whole," said Mark Evans, senior vice president of FOX Sports Sales. "YouTube TV provides a fresh, unique perspective that sparks new and creative ways for us and our partners to innovate."
YouTube TV includes:
• Nearly 50 networks, including live local feeds from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC in most markets, plus popular cable networks like ESPN, AMC and FX and local sports networks from NBC Sports in 13 markets, FOX Sports in 22 markets and NESN in Boston.
• A cloud DVR, with no storage limits, that travels with subscribers within the U.S. so you can stream recordings on any device, whenever and wherever you want. It enables subscribers to record live TV and never run out of storage plus record shows simultaneously, without using precious data or space on your phone. Each recording will be stored for nine months.
• YouTube TV can be watched on any screen -- mobile, tablet or computer -- and is easily streamed to your TV with a Google Chromecast, Chromecast built-in TV, and AirPlay through Apple TV.
• Six accounts per household. Every YouTube TV membership comes with six accounts, each with its own unique recommendations and personal DVR with no storage-space limits. Subscribers can watch up to three concurrent streams at a time.
• Half the cost of cable with zero commitments. A YouTube TV membership is only $35 a month and there are no commitments; subscribers can cancel anytime.
YouTube TV will continue to quickly expand to cover more cities across the country in the coming weeks and months. Visit tv.youtube.com and sign up to find out when it will launch in your market.