This weekend saw the second edition of the London Series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Another step towards a permanent establishment of this event in Europe. So the question everyone is asking is: When will the Paris Series take place?
London Series: A success story!
MLB, like the NBA, NFL, and NHL, wants to expand into the international market and conquer a new fan base. Europe is one of the main targets of Major League Baseball, and it has been since 2019 and the first London Series.
Rob Manfred and MLB made a big splash by sending the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox to battle it out on English soil.
The excitement was incredible for this first edition, so much so that all tickets were sold out as soon as they went on sale. MLB then decided to increase the capacity to sell 5,000 additional tickets.
Even if the enthusiasm is less than in 2019, the 2023 London Series remain a standalone event, and baseball fans turned out in droves. We also already know that a third edition will take place in the English capital in 2024, featuring the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.
Paris: The next target for MLB?
After the success of the London Series, will Paris be the next European capital to host MLB games? We took the opportunity to ask directly if Paris will host a series in 2025. Here is Rob Manfred’s response.
« Yes, it’s in the works. We are working towards a visit to Paris in 2025. But we can’t make it official yet. But Paris is part of our plans. » Rob Manfred
You will have understood, therefore, that no official announcement has been made. However, Paris is indeed part of MLB’s plans in its quest to internationalize the league, especially in Europe.
It remains to be seen whether an agreement can be reached with the owners of the Stade de France, the only venue in Paris that could host such an event. The Stade de France concession belongs to the Vinci-Bouygues consortium until 2025, and the stadium is currently for sale by tender.
After the deadline for submitting tenders (June 2023) and expressions of interest (for acquisition as well as operation), the Stade de France consortium will define who is selected to respond to the tender. The dossiers will be judged 70% on the financial capacity of the applicant and 30% on the ability to manage the venue. Then, the schedule announces that the tender will be official in June and responses expected by the end of November. Then a decision will be made by the State for a sale or concession in early 2024, before a final allocation in 2025.
In the takeover dossier, PSG is ready to make certain concessions, including hosting the national rugby and football teams at the Stade de France, as well as concerts and other events as requested by the State. In this respect, the club is not closing the door to potential partners in event management, but also in real estate.
PSG is not yet leaving the Parc des Princes, but by bidding for the Stade de France, it is taking a first step towards the possibility of moving from its historic stadium.
On the legal side of the dossier, in the event of a transfer of the stadium by the State, it will be necessary to declassify the Stade de France from the public domain. This will require a law to be passed and therefore a vote in the National Assembly. The new owner may not wish to host a baseball event from MLB given the work and arrangements necessary to create an atypical field and also the drastic and imposing nature of MLB’s specifications. On the other hand, this will be unparalleled international publicity for the new owner. On the side of the French Baseball Federation, there is a strong desire for this to happen in order to take advantage of this moment to convince the French authorities to invest in this sport in France.
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