Alex Rodriguez Closes in on Contract Extension With Fox Sports (Exclusive)

Alex Weprin
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Fox Sports is betting big on MLB analyst Alex Rodriguez.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the 14-time MLB all star and World Series champion is closing in on a contract extension with Fox Sports, a deal that if completed will keep him working big MLB games for Fox for years to come.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Rodriguez is a critical piece of Fox’s MLB on Fox studio team, working alongside host Kevin Burkhardt, 10-time all star and three-time world champion David Ortiz (“Big Papi”), as well as 14-time all star and 5-time world champion Derek Jeter, who previously played with Rodriguez on the New York Yankees.

Terms of the new Fox deal were not immediately clear, though it is believed to be the most lucrative deal yet for an MLB analyst, with a term of more than three years.

Rodriguez currently works double duty: as an MLB studio analyst for Fox Sports, and also for ESPN on its “KayRod” alternate broadcast for Sunday Night Baseball alongside Michael Kay. The Fox Sports deal in the works is said to be exclusive, meaning that the current season will be his last at ESPN. Rodriguez joined ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball team in 2018.

Rodriguez joined Fox Sports full time as an analyst in 2017, after working the playoffs for the network in 2015 and 2016.

Fox’s MLB studio show is unusual not only for the on-field success of its analysts, but for their personal relationships as well. Rodriguez and Ortiz have been close friends for years, and Rodriguez and Jeter rekindled their friendship in recent years. Jeter joined Fox’s broadcast team earlier this year, with the analysts tossing autographed baseballs to advertisers from the stage at Fox’s upfront in May.

Fox has made a point of tapping superstar athletes that also have broadcasting skills to bolster the network’s sports coverage. In addition to Rodriguez, Jeter and Ortiz on its MLB games, the network also hired Tom Brady to join its NFL broadcast booth, beginning next year. Its NFL team includes former stars like Michael Strahan and Rob Gronkowski, while its World Cup soccer coverage includes U.S. legend Alexi Lalas.

The network also cross-pollinates its sports programming, bringing its MLB stars to some of its NFL coverage (Jeter made his Fox debut on Fox’s Super Bowl pre-game show), and its NASCAR coverage.

Since retiring from MLB in 2016, Rodriguez has also become an active investor, including deals with technology and real estate firms. He also partnered with the entrepreneur Marc Lore to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA team. Rodriguez is represented by WME’s Jon Rosen.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.