As Trial Looms, Baseball Fans Already Won in MLB TV Dispute

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball fans are already the winners in a lawsuit scheduled for trial next week over how league broadcast rights are distributed.

MLB lawyers have told a Manhattan federal court judge that fans will be able to buy single-team television packages if they don't live in their favorite team's market.

The lawyers noted in court papers submitted last week that the desire for single-team packages seemed to be the driving force behind the 2012 class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of fans.

The decision to enable single-team TV package purchases came after lawyers for the National Hockey League last year settled their side of the court case. The NHL agreed to let fans buy single-team packages.

A message left with a plaintiff's lawyer was not immediately returned Friday.