MLB is in London for the long haul

Exhibition games have become regular season games, and now it looks like that is set to continue into the foreseeable future as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and London Mayor Sadiq Khan announce a long-term deal to keep baseball in the British capital.

The deal includes regular-season games in 2023, 2024, and 2026 alongside other MLB events over the next five years.

Back in 2019, when the Red Sox faced the Yankees in a two-game series at the London Stadium, there were 60,000 fans who turned up to see what was thought to be a once-in a lifetime exhibition. Belaying fears by our British cousins that baseball might be too boring, the teams stepped up and scored a combined 50 runs in those two games.

Manfred released a statement saying, “All aspects of the inaugural MLB games in London were an overwhelming success. It was clear that sports fans in London had a great appetite for baseball and that passion was shared by Mayor Khan as well as the business and media community. We are confident in making a long-term commitment to London and are looking forward to returning to the city with more MLB games, special fan events, and other opportunities to play and watch the game.”

Sadiq Khan was just as enthusiastic, saying, “Today is an historic day for London and baseball. This long-term partnership with Major League Baseball is ambitious and includes regular-season games as well as a legacy program designed to grow the number of Londoners watching and playing baseball at a grassroots level in London.”

MLB Europe will continue to conduct fan engagement events, such as the Home Run Derby X, featuring the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs competing in a team format that includes a former player, a women’s softball or baseball player, a rookie, and a social media influencer. The event will take place in Crystal Palace park in south London on July 9, and will be repeated in Seoul, South Korea on September 17 and in Mexico City on October 15.