Major League Baseball Aims for European Expansion with London Series
Via ESPN
Summary
Major League Baseball positioned its annual London Series as the centerpiece of an ambitious international expansion strategy, with Commissioner Rob Manfred describing London as the "jumping-off point" for eventually bringing regular-season games to additional European markets. The 2023 edition featured the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals drawing sold-out crowds exceeding 60,000 at London Stadium, providing evidence that baseball can build a commercially meaningful fan base in Europe.
The London Series is part of MLB's World Tour initiative, which plans up to 24 international regular-season games through 2026 spanning Europe, Asia, Mexico, and Latin America, with officials citing measurable growth in British baseball participation and viewership as evidence the European market is maturing. League executives argued that international expansion is commercially strategic rather than merely promotional, positioning baseball alongside soccer and basketball in the global sports marketplace increasingly central to the long-term economics of major professional leagues.
