MLB will broadcast games exclusively on Facebook, for some reason

On Friday, MLB announced to the world that it had struck a $25 million to $30 million deal with Facebook to exclusively broadcast 25 games over the course of the season. While MLB broadcasting on Facebook isn’t new, the excusivity is. There will also be on-demand highlight packages for each game. This whole thing is an interesting idea, but there are some definite pros and cons.

On one hand, at least MLB is willing to try something different. They’re working with a social network to broadcast their games exclusively and gain new viewers. People without MLB.TV or a local cable channel will be able to watch, as long as they have a Facebook account. And they’re also testing out some new in-game features, and maybe even some new broadcasters. The games are in the afternoon, which makes them easier for people to watch if they’re at work and, well, not working. None of this is guaranteed to succeed, and that’s a big deal for an MLB venture.

But on the other hand, it’s Facebook. MLB is desperately trying to gain the loyalty of younger fans, and going to Facebook just isn’t the way to do that. While Facebook has a significant number of users in the 25-34 age range, the average user in the U.S. is over 40. If they’re not trying to gain younger fans, then why are they doing this? It’s a move that’s going to alienate some of the fans they already have. Those Facebook games are only available on Facebook, and not on any local TV network or even MLB.TV.

But maybe MLB is more interested in the social interaction this could trigger. Fans watching and commenting about these games on Facebook might inspire others to become part of the conversation. Or conversely, most people might think it’s a huge hassle to watch a game on a mobile device that you can normally watch on a regular TV. Either way, it’s a bold move for MLB, but only time will tell if it’s a successful one.