Report: MLB posts record revenue in 2019 despite attendance woes
Major League Baseball continues to be in the money.
The league earned a record $10.7 billion in gross revenues during 2019, marking the 17th consecutive year that MLB has seen its profits rise in record fashion, industry sources told Maury Brown of Forbes.
MLB's 2019 revenues from expenses and outside investments charted at $9.7 billion during the past year, according to Brown. That figure, which includes player payrolls and the average value of new contracts, represents a $300-million increase from one year ago.
This record spike in profits comes despite a significant cloud hanging over baseball in the form of decreased attendance. MLB's 30 teams drew a total of 68.49 million fans during the regular season, marking a 1.7% decline from 2018 and the sixth time in the last seven years that overall attendance has dropped.
MLB's outside contracts ensured the league would continue to line its pockets in green, regardless of its attendance woes. Last year, the league extended its national TV deal with FOX through 2028 for a reported $5.1 billion, while ESPN and Turner Sports are both currently negotiating their own new TV deals, according to Brown.
Even more cash will flow in during the coming season, as 2020 marks the beginning of MLB's $1-billion uniform contract with Nike.
Though league revenues skyrocketed, player earnings did not rise in 2019. On Friday, the MLB Players' Association announced that its 988 players under contract on Aug. 31, 2019, drew an average salary of $4,051,490, according to Ronald Blum of The Associated Press. That figure represented a 1.1% drop from 2018, the second straight year baseball's average salary declined.
Outside of the cash flow, 2019 was something of a rocky season for MLB. Besides attendance woes, commissioner Rob Manfred's had to deal with several high-profile controversies over the past year, including the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, allegations of juiced baseballs, and the revelation of a widely-criticized proposal to shrink Minor League Baseball.
Gross revenues first soared past the $10-billion mark two years ago.