The sports rights standoff in Mexico between Grupo Multimedia Lauman-owned Fox Sports Mexico (FSM), and US media giant Fox Corp has continued, with the latter now snatching up the rights to North America's Major League Baseball (MLB).
From September 4 onward, Fox Corp will showcase five MLB games per week, 20 in total, through the remainder of the league’s regular season (which runs through September 28).
Following this, Fox Corp will also show post-season playoff coverage, particularly that of the American League conference, including wild card round, divisional Round, championship round, and World Series games.
The media heavyweight will showcase MLB games on its primary Fox linear channel, the Caliente TV sports platform that it acquired in June, and the Tubi OTT service.
Mexico is the sixth best-represented non-US nationality in MLB, with current and former league All-Stars such as Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays), Randy Arozarena and Andres Munoz (both Mariners), Isaac Paredes (Astros), and Jonathan Aranda (Rays) voted among the league’s top players in 2025.
FSM was the long-term rights holder for MLB in the country up until August, when the league terminated the deal, leaving the broadcaster with just the domestic Mexican Baseball League in terms of baseball rights.
In securing MLB rights, Fox Corp further boxes out the rival Lauman Group-owned broadcaster, which holds the Fox Sports brand under license.
That license, however, is under scrutiny as of late, with Fox filing a lawsuit against FSM in New York, looking to cease the operations of Media Deportes Mexico (Lauman’s TV operating company) under the FSM name due to reputational damage it claims it has suffered.
FSM has struggled this year to make rights payments for many of its sports properties, across soccer, American football’s NFL, and motor racing’s Formula 1, causing blackouts and early contract terminations, which included soccer’s Grupo Pachuca defecting to Fox.
The US media giant is seeking damages and a court order to block MDM from using its trademarks going forward. It has also requested an injunction on a Mexican court ruling granting MDM rights to the brand that, Fox says, was obtained under false pretenses.
Shortly after the complaint was filed, US District Judge Jed Rakoff granted Fox's request for a temporary restraining order, stating the filing had raised "very serious allegations" that suggested "totally despicable activity by the defendant [MDM]," according to a court transcript.
Lauman responded that it has exclusive rights to the brand through November 10, 2026, obtaining an injunction to the effect in Mexico City.
Ultimately, Rakoff fined Media Deportes Mexico $200,000 and held it in contempt of court over restraining order violations related to that injunction, saying the conditions will continue until that injunction is withdrawn.
MDM will be able to appeal that decision on September 5.
