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Over recent years, MLB has been making inroads into various international markets. A pet project of league commissioner Rob Manfred, one such plan has run into some significant challenges.
The league and the MLBPA agreed to hold games in Paris, France in March 2022. As part of the plans that were drawn out, the French capital was slated to host a handful of regular season games during the 2025 season.
However, the decision has recently been made to put those plans on hold indefinitely. According to the Associated Press, Major League Baseball was unable to find a sponser for the series, throwing its financial viability into a state of precariousness.
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"MLB cancels 2025 Paris games after failing to find promoter, AP sources say" - FOX48 & CENLANow.com
The idea of holding games abroad came out of the new collective bargaining agreement between teams and players that came into force just before the start of the 2022 season. In addition to this series planned for 2025, the CBA includes provisions for games held in Mexico, London, and Japan in 2026.
Despite this significant hurdle, the league has successfully exported action in various markets in recent years, including other European hubs. This past June, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals played a pair of games in London, it was the first game played in the British capital since 2019.
Moreover, the league has seen strong interest in games that have been played, or are planned, for different parts of the globe. Next March, the San Diego Padres will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea one week before the regular season starts for the rest of the league.
"MLB announced the Padres and Dodgers will play in Seoul, South Korea to open the 2024 regular season on March 20-21" - FOX Sports: MLB
Cancellation of Paris Series a knock for MLB's international ambitions
After the 2023 league-sponsored World Baseball Classic in March, fans in the USA got the chance to see how baseball-mad other countries are. With the tournament ending with Shohei Ohtani striking out Los Angeles Angels teammate to win the WBC for Japan, they also saw how exciting international ball can be.
Although the Paris Series was far from the only item on the international menu, having to cancel it shows the league that not all markets are ripe for exploration. Thankfully, the March Series in Seoul is still expected to go ahead.
