An interesting development ... MLBAM is acquiring approximately 10 percent of start-up sports programmer World Championship Sports Network, according to Reuters.  Co-founded by Claude Ruibal and Tom Hipkins, WCSN has exclusive, long-term rights to numerous sports federation competitions around the world providing more than 1,200 hours of live coverage and thousands of hours of archival footage. WCSN, which doesn’t have its own channel, places its events on networks like Comcast Regional and YES.  In August, working with MLBAM, it added webcasting with 58 hours of PPV live IAAF Track & Field coverage followed by other events, most recently the 2005 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Melbourne for $9.95 and $14.95 on demand.
MLBAM has been extending its reach beyond the MLB season, managing the MLS site and a dozen of its franchise sites and already has considerable experience streaming video and audio as well as selling subscriptions and PPV so the match-up makes sense. MLBAM’s Bob Bowman told Reuters to expect more deals. No financial details but I wouldn’t be surprised rev share to play a role.