MOORHEAD, MN 鈥� The 扣扣传媒 (AAPB) and the Australian Baseball League (ABL) have agreed to a new partnership which will see the two leagues collaborate on numerous on-field and off-field projects, the leagues announced.
The American Association is a Partner League of Major League Baseball and operates a 100-game season from May-September. The Australian Baseball League was founded in 2010 and typically operates from November-February in both Australia and New Zealand and features Australian homegrown talent and prospects from around the world.
The agreement signed by both organizations will see the two leagues collaborate in areas including video streaming and marketing and opens the door for the potential exchange of personnel between seasons of players, umpires, coaching staff and club administrators. This is the first time the American Association has entered into an agreement with a league that operates outside of the AAPB鈥檚 North American summer season.
The first step in the agreement is the American Association streaming select games from the ABL 2020-2021 season on the league鈥檚 streaming platform at . The ABL will reciprocate during the American Association season on their streaming platform. Twenty games from the 2020-21 ABL season will be streamed this winter starting December 31. The full broadcast schedule is listed at the end of the release
鈥淎s the American Association continues to position itself as the top MLB Partner League, forming a solid long-term relationship with the Australian Baseball League is important on many fronts,鈥� said Joshua Schaub, Commissioner of the American Association. 鈥淢any of our current and former players have played in Australia and have had great success and experiences in the league. We look forward to exposing our fanbase to the excitement of the ABL and working together to better both leagues.鈥�
鈥淧roviding streaming content into both markets is an immediate first step,鈥� said Cam Vale, Chief Executive of Baseball Australia. 鈥淧artnerships like this have great potential and intent. The measure of its success will be in using the experience of our league and teams. It offers the potential for 12 months of ongoing engagement and cross-over that can allow for development of players, coaches, umpire and club staff.鈥�
Further meetings between the American Association and the ABL are planned for early 2021 to explore all available opportunities between the two leagues.
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE ON
BROADCAST SCHEDULE (All Times Listed are U.S. Central Time Zone)
12/31/20聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Perth Heat vs. Melbourne Aces聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 2:00 AM CT
1/1/21聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Perth Heat vs. Melbourne Aces聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 2:00 AM CT
1/2/21聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Perth Heat vs. Melbourne Aces聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 2:00 AM CT
1/3/21聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Perth Heat vs. Melbourne Aces聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 8:00 PM CT
1/14/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽2:00 AM CT
1/15/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽2:00 AM CT
1/16/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 2:00 AM CT
1/16/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽8:00 PM CT
1/21/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Perth Heat聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 4:00 AM CT
1/22/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Brisbane Bandits vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽2:00 AM CT
1/22/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Perth Heat聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽4:00 AM CT
1/23/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Brisbane Bandits vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽2:00 AM CT
1/23/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Brisbane Bandits vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 8:00 PM CT
1/24/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Sydney Blue Sox vs. Perth Heat聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 4:00 AM CT
1/25/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Brisbane Bandits vs. Melbourne Aces聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 2:00 AM CT
1/25/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Adelaide Giants vs. Perth Heat (DH)聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 2:00 AM & 5:00 AM CT
1/26/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Adelaide Giants vs. Perth Heat聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 2:00 AM CT
1/29/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Melbourne Aces vs. Perth Heat聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽4:00 AM CT
1/30/21聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Melbourne Aces vs. Perth Heat聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽4:00 AM CT
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