MLB Adds London Games To Be Played In 2023, 2024 & 2026
May 10, 2022, 12:38 PM
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox throws a ball to a team-mate between innings during the MLB London Series game between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at London Stadium on June 30, 2019 in London, England.
SALT LAKE CITY – Continuing a partnership that began in 2019, Major League Baseball unveiled plans for a ‘London Series’ in upcoming seasons.
On Monday, MLB and the city of London announced a long-term strategic partnership. The partnership includes regular season games to be played in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
“All aspects of the inaugural MLB games in London were an overwhelming success,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “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.”
The city of London & @MLB have formed a long-term strategic partnership that includes MLB playing regular season games in London in ’23, ’24 & ’26. MLB Europe will also conduct fan events, expanded UK-focused content, baseball participation programs, and more. pic.twitter.com/vcMuTBWp8P
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) May 9, 2022
In the first two MLB games ever played in Europe, the New York Yankees swept the ‘home’ Boston Red Sox in two games played at London Stadium on June 29-30, 2019. The nearly 60,000 in attendance at each game got their money’s worth as the teams combined to score 50 runs in two games.
A Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals series in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Speculation has begun that this series will be rescheduled for 2023.
Cubs and Cardinals Will Likely Try for Their London Series Again in 2023 – https://t.co/OTXGqfpbSd pic.twitter.com/ZcdcnBsMgJ
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) May 10, 2022
MLB has expanded their product by playing regular season games in several different countries in recent seasons. In addition to the London series in 2019, the Seattle Mariners opened the season in the Tokyo, Japan against the Oakland Athletics. The Houston Astros played the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds met the St. Louis Cardinals in Monterrey, Mexico as well.
For example, the NFL announced plans to play 2022 regular season games in Munich, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico and two games in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the NBA played preseason games in London and China in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of plans for a regular season game in Paris, France.
