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Report: Dodgers' Court-Approved TV Terms Shield Revenue Through 2039

A bankruptcy process set a low sharing baseline for Los Angeles’ local-rights money, not a special break granted by MLB.

Overview

  • Independent reporter Joon Lee cites a league source saying the favorable revenue-sharing treatment lasts until the current TV deal’s expiration in 2039, though other coverage lists the end year as 2038.
  • During the 2011–12 court-supervised sale, a fair-market value near $84 million was set for sharing purposes, later negotiated to about $130 million for the first year even as the actual contract far exceeded that figure.
  • Estimates indicate the arrangement lets the Dodgers avoid roughly $66 million in revenue-sharing payments each year, with analyses pegging the long-term shelter near $6 billion over the 25-year deal.
  • The local-rights agreement is valued at $8.35 billion with an average of $334 million annually and escalators projected to exceed $500 million per year by the deal’s end.
  • Reporting underscores MLB could not unilaterally undo the court-approved terms, and the renewed scrutiny is feeding broader talks over a salary cap and potential league control of local rights in future bargaining.