Facebook Will Be Streaming 25 MLB Games This Year

Mar 9, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:24 am

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 03: The Facebook app logo is displayed on an iPad next to a picture of the...

(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 03: The Facebook app logo is displayed on an iPad next to a picture of the Facebook logo on an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is getting deeper into the professional sports streaming game, signing a deal with Major League Baseball to air 25 afternoon games in an exclusive deal.

The games will be available Facebook users in the U.S. on Facebook Watch, the company’s video feature, via the MLB Live show page. Facebook said Friday that recorded broadcasts will also be available globally, excluding select international markets.

Facebook, Twitter and Amazon and other tech companies are in a race to acquire sports streaming rights, both because it can be lucrative, and because it can potentially boost user loyalty. Verizon signed a deal with the NBA to stream eight basketball games on Yahoo. And Amazon paid $50 million last year to stream NFL games to Prime members last season.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Facebook Will Be Streaming 25 MLB Games This Year