ESPN, Inc. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball

OPINION AND ORDER

SCHEINDLIN, District Judge.

Introduction

This is a contract dispute between ESPN, Inc. (“ESPN”), an all-sports cable television network, and The Office of Major League Baseball (“Baseball”), which acts on behalf of the Major League Baseball clubs. In 1996, the parties entered into a telecasting agreement (the “1996 Agreement”) pursuant to which Baseball granted ESPN the right to telecast regular season major league baseball games on its primary cable service. In exchange, ESPN agreed, among other things, to pay Baseball yearly rights fees and to produce baseball game telecasts…