MLB Network Doubles Down The Line With Saturday Night Package
Rookie Service Now Counts 52 Live Thursday, Saturday Games On Its Lineup
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 4/9/2009 10:45:54 AM
Taking an aggressive stance at the programming plate, MLB Network has added a Saturday night slate of games, beginning with the Los Angeles Dodgers visiting the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 11.
The package encompasses 26 Saturday nights. Coupling the Saturday Night Baseball package with its Thursday Night Baseball telecasts, the service, which reaches some 50 million cable and satellite homes, will televise 52 live contests during its rookie season. Between the packages, MLB Network will televise 24 of MLB's 30 squads during the first seven weeks of the season, according to network officials.
Like the Thursday night contests, the Saturday night games are non-exclusive and will primarily be simulcasts of local broadcasts, including local announcers. Games will be blacked out in each team's home TV territory. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.
On Saturdays, MLB Tonight will provide in-game updates on developments throughout MLB as well as news, analysis and highlights following the game telecast.
"Adding these Saturday night games will allow us to further our commitment to showcase all 30 Major League clubs at the national level," said MLB Network president and CEO Tony Petitti in a statement. "Having two national games each week will also help us augment our already robust MLB Tonight studio programming."
The network's upcoming schedule is as follows:
Date Time (ET) Game
Thursday, April 9 7:00 p.m. Milwaukee Brewers @ San Francisco Giants
Saturday, April 11 8:00 p.m. Los Angeles Dodgers @ Arizona Diamondbacks
Thursday, April 16 1:00 p.m. Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
Thursday, April 16 8:00 p.m. Toronto Blue Jays @ Minnesota Twins
Saturday, April 18 7:00 p.m. San Diego Padres @ Philadelphia Phillies
Thursday, April 23 8:00 p.m. Los Angeles Dodgers @ Houston Astros
Saturday, April 25 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia Phillies @ Florida Marlins
Thursday, April 30 7:00 p.m. Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays
Saturday, May 2 9:00 p.m. Oakland Athletics @ Seattle Mariners
Thursday, May 7 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets
Saturday, May 9 7:00 p.m. St. Louis Cardinals @ Cincinnati Reds
Thursday, May 14 8:00 p.m. Baltimore Orioles @ Kansas City Royals
Saturday, May 16 7:00 p.m. Colorado Rockies @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Thursday, May 21 8:00 p.m. Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals
Saturday, May 23 7:00 p.m. New York Mets @ Boston Red Sox
