Major League Baseball Wants To Bring More Games To Europe

Major League Baseball is set to bring more games to Europe in the coming seasons, according to a new report from the Associated Press.

That announcement comes as the league is set to kick off its latest London Series of games this weekend between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. And it also comes as previous series have worked as the league hoped they would in growing fan interest in the sport from U.K. residents.

"We’ve clearly identified the U.K. as a priority market and an area that we plan to emphasize for international growth of Major League Baseball," said Chris Marinak, MLB's chief operations and strategy officer, according to the AP.

The report also said that followers of MLB's U.K. based social media accounts have grown dramatically, 133 percent in just a year since the last London Series. Merchandise sales in England have also risen 43 percent. While the league had hoped to play a series in Paris in 2025, issues lining up a promoter, stadium, and finding time in the schedule led to cancellation in 2023.

READ: MLB Cancels Paris Series Just A Few Months After Announcing It

But MLB still intends to revisit Paris as a potential location moving forward. And already has another series in London lined up for 2026.

LONDON - A view of London Stadium during the 2024 London Series Workout Day on Friday, June 7, 2024. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MLB Has Hopes Of Playing More International Games

In the 2023 London series, 71 percent of the 55,000 fans who attended each game came from the UK, signaling continued interest. The BBC also signed up to broadcast the World Series, as well as the London series games this year. 

MLB is hopeful that the stadium situation in Paris, where the Stade de France is currently up for sale, will be resolved soon, clearing the way for a rescheduled series. There could also be games deeper into continental Europe, with interest in the game growing in Germany and Italy.

In 2025, the league is also heading to Tokyo, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs widely expected to take part. Considering the amount of former Japanese baseball league talent on both sides, those games are sure to be sellouts. MLB will also return to Mexico City and Puerto Rico in 2025.

There's plenty of room for growth for baseball internationally, and virtually all of their series have been successful. The fact that the BBC is now involved in broadcasting games shows that regular season contests can be a catalyst for more revenue and fan interest. Now it's up to the league to expand further.