Getty Images
- MLB also faces scheduling issue with West Ham United
- League abandoned Paris game scheduled for this season
- Big 12 eyeing Wembley Stadium event for September 2026
Major League Baseball (MLB) has cancelled plans to play two games in London next year, attributing the decision to scheduling issues with Fox and the London Stadium.
MLB had planned to hold a pair of fixtures in London between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays next June. However, the London Stadium will host Premier League club West Ham United’s last game of the 2025/26 campaign on 24th May, allowing the North American league too little time to convert the venue for baseball.
In a further blow, MLB was unable to move the London Series to a later date in the month due to US broadcaster Fox not having enough capacity for the two games. Fox will be airing the men’s Fifa World Cup next summer starting on 11th June, which will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada.
MLB first visited London in 2019, a game which also featured the Yankees. The league then held games in the English capital in 2023 and 2024, with the most recent series delivering a total economic benefit of UK£56.5 million (US$76.3 million) to the London economy.
It was scheduled to play a game in Paris this season, but the plans were abandoned after MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) failed to find a promoter for the matchup.
“We remain interested in Europe. We think London is an important jumping off point for us,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said when addressing the London Series’ cancellation at Front Office Sports’ Tuned In event earlier this week.
“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.”
Manfred also noted that the league was involved in grassroots initiatives in India due to the country’s love for cricket, and that Mexico remained a priority for MLB. As of now, Mexico is scheduled to host the league’s only set of international games next season, with a date yet to be confirmed for a series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
The league has additionally invested more time in Japan and South Korea, with both countries hosting season-opening games in recent years.
“Our approach to international has always been country by country, largely because we find the places we’re interested in to be in different stages of development,” Manfred added.
“With respect to Japan and Korea, we made investments there. We monetarily, and players, in terms of the sweat equity involved, of making the trip to Tokyo to open the season, making the trip to Seoul to open the season, that we have started to see return on those investments.”
While MLB will not play in London next year, the Big 12 US college sports conference is reportedly in talks to play a college football game at the English capital’s Wembley Stadium. According to multiple reports, Kansas and Arizona State are the teams involved in discussions about playing a game next September, which would be the second college football game ever held in the UK.
SportsPro says…
This is a blow for MLB, which has invested plenty of time in promoting the league in the UK and Europe. Evidently, Fox’s commitments to a home World Cup meant it could not afford the league leeway it would ordinarily – leaving the baseball competition with little choice but to abandon its plans.
While East Asia has proven itself to be a fruitful region for the league thanks to the success of stars like Shohei Ohtani, Manfred’s comments suggest Europe remains a priority area to grow the sport. The London games have averaged an attendance of over 50,000 fans, demonstrating the potential for the sport in the UK.
The London series would have been among the last international games for MLB before talks around a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) are held, which will determine the number of overseas games the league will play going forward. Unless a replacement city in Europe can be found, it will mean MLB could go two years without a game in Europe, which would slow its momentum in the region.
Get access to richer content, exclusive reports, unparalleled business intelligence, and community benefits to help you navigate the next frontier of sport and make more informed decisions with a SportsPro+ Premium membership. Discover more here.