Springfield Standard

Senator Eric Schmitt recently addressed concerns regarding access to sports broadcasts for Missourians during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation hearing. The focus was on the future of watching live sporting events and the challenges faced by fans in accessing games.

Reflecting on his childhood experiences, Senator Schmitt recalled the limited availability of baseball games in the 1980s. He noted that "the only game you could maybe pick up was the NBC Game of the Week with...Vin Scully and St Louis and Joe Garagiola broadcasting those games." He highlighted how perceptions have changed over time, with more games being broadcast without negatively impacting attendance.

Schmitt shared his personal experience as a fan navigating various platforms to watch Cardinals games. "I would only during baseball season, when I cut the cord, actually buy the cable subscription...just to see the Cardinal games," he said. This journey took him from Sling to YouTube TV as he sought reliable access to broadcasts.

Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive Vice President of Media and Business Development, responded to Schmitt's inquiries about future directions for sports broadcasting. Gersh emphasized a shift towards making more games available nationally: "Where this is going is a great question...we would like to see more of our games available more broadly."

Gersh outlined MLB's goal for post-2028 when their main rights deals are set for renewal. He expressed hope for establishing a central platform where fans can easily find non-nationally broadcasted games: "Whether it’s a national streaming package or MLB Network becomes the home of local baseball."