MLB reaches TV deal with Fox, Turner

PITTSBURGH, July 11 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball has reached a seven-year deal with Fox and Turner Sports to keep the World Series on Fox and create a game-of-the-week on Turner.

Turner will broadcast one divisional playoff series, alternating between the American League Championship Series and the National League Championship Series each year. Bids continued on which network will carry the second League Championship Series.

Turner Sports will air a regular-season game-of-the-week on Sundays, the All-Star Game selection show and have the rights to any regular-season, tie-breaking games before the playoffs.

Fox will air the All-Star Game, a 26-week Saturday game-of-the-week package and alternate between the American and National League Championship Series, airing the National League series in even numbered years and the American League series in odd numbered years.

The deal, to be announced before Tuesday night's All-Star Game at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, runs through 2014.

Fox will pay about $250 million for its baseball package. Broadcasting & Cable said Fox lost about $200 million over the course of its current six-year, $2.6 billion deal with MLB but expects to make money with the new agreement.

Baseball reached an eight-year, $2.4 billion deal with ESPN in September.