MLB cancels plans for two 2026 Yankees games in London over two key issues
The Mets and Phillies line up on the field during the pre-game ceremonies in London in 2024.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Because of the World Cup taking place in June, Fox did not have available broadcast slots to push the game to later in the month.
It was the second European venture that had to be put aside by MLB after plans to hold games in Paris were called off after MLB and MLBPA couldn’t find a promoter.
The league first took baseball to London in 2019, when the Yankees played the Red Sox for two games there.
Most recently in 2024, the Mets and Phillies played a pair of games in West Ham’s stadium.
During the event, Manfred reaffirmed MLB’s commitment to breaking into the European market.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during a news conference, June 29, 2019, in London.AP
“We remain interested in Europe. We think London is an important jumping off point for us,” Manfred said, according to the Associated Press. “We have a facility that has come a long way since the first Yankee-Red Sox game. It’s a much better ballpark now than it was due to their willingness to make investments in that. We continue to believe that there’s an opportunity there and that we can get at the developed economies in Europe through that London entree.”
Tuesday’s Front Office Sports event also saw Manfred confirm that the league was nearing deals for its media rights. NBCUniversal is in line to get the wild-card playoff round and Sunday night games during the regular season, while Netflix would get the Home Run Derby.
ESPN, which will not retain Sunday night games, would get weekday regular-season games.
“They are the agreements that have been reported publicly and we hope to push them across the finish line,” Manfred said.
