Bangers & Mash: MLB Global Series Takes Mets, Phillies Rivalry To London In '24
Friday, June 23, 2023 at 07:39PM By Barry Janoff
June 23, 2023: The rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies is less than 100 miles between ballparks, but they will take the noise more than 3,400 miles across the Atlantic in 2024.
MLB and the MLB Players Assn. said today the teams would play a two-game series in London Stadium, scheduled for June 8-9, 2024.
"To us, London is a really important part of our international strategy,” commissioner Rob Manfred said via MLB.
“We have seen great growth in baseball since we were here in 2019. The number of people in Britain that identify as fans has doubled since 2019.”
The 2024 games will be MLB’s third series in London, following the inaugural series in 2019 between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, and this weekend’s series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals (June 24 Fox, June 25 ESPN).
The London Series is part of MLB’s multi-year World Tour, which saw games earlier this season in Mexico and upcoming planned games in France and the U.K.
"We think our game is at its best when we have traditional rivals playing, and we want to show the fans here in London the very best form of baseball," said Manfred.
Broadcast networks were not named for the 2024 London Series, but MLB games in London Stadium (pictured) have been split between Fox and ESPN.
MLB said this would be the Phillies’ first international trip but the Mets’ fourth. They played in Mexico in 1996, Japan in 2000 and Puerto Rico in 2010.
“Interest in baseball is growing all over the world and to bring the Mets ‘never-say-die’ attitude to sports fans in London is a tremendous honor,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said via the team.
“Our Queens family is ready to show London a great time with exciting baseball and amazing experiences that create new fans and build the Mets community throughout the United Kingdom.”
London has become a regular stop for the NFL, which has played games there since 2007 and will have four during the 2023 season.
The NFL said its 2022 International Games “saw record-breaking attendances and viewership as ticket demand and fandom continue to grow for the league across the world.”
Photo: MLB“Major League Baseball has done an excellent job of expanding its footprint internationally, and we are honored to play a role in that effort as part of the 2024 London Series,” John Middleton, Phillies managing partner and CEO, said via the team.
“This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our players’ talents and highlight the excitement that comes with a Phillies-Mets matchup for our fans in the UK and for those who have never attended a baseball game.”
MLB in May 2022 signed a a five-year deal with city officials to play regular-season games and hold other events in London in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
The league is planning to send the Los Angeles Dodgers to Paris in 2025 for games in the Stade de France.
The Cardinals and Cubs were scheduled to play in the 2020 MLB London Series, but that was postponed due to COVD-19 concerns.
A London Series was not scheduled for 2021 or 2022.
The San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres played a two-game series in Mexico City in Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú April 29-30 in 2023, the league’s first regular-season games in the Mexican capital but not the first in Mexico.
The World Baseball Classic has also brought the game to global fans and global fans to the game.
“We're going to make this part of our regular program and looking forward to be back next year,” said Manfred.
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