Yankees to Become First MLB Team to Stream Games on Amazon Prime Video

The old ways of watching professional sports on television are increasingly going by the wayside, and the emergence of streaming is to blame in no small part. Not so much in Major League Baseball, however -- but one team is looking to take advantage of the cord-cutting era and lead the way in changing the game.

Per Josh Kosman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees are working with Amazon on streaming games without a cable subscription via Prime Video.

The Yankees reportedly saw their television viewership drop 17% this past season, and are turning to streaming to help boost numbers. Their plan, according to the Post, is to allow Prime Video to carry a limited number of games next season with the ultimate goal of creating an annual streaming package, potentially valued at $99 per year.

Prior to this development, the MLB held all rights to streaming services for all its teams, but that changed after a vote allowed owners to decide to stream local games. The Yankees have it easier considering that they partially own the YES Network, as compared to other teams locked into deals with outside television networks.

To make matters even smoother, Amazon recently bought Disney's 80% share in YES Network.

While there are still some roadblocks to get past, the New York Yankees could be the first MLB team to stream games on Amazon Prime Video, and potentially the first of many.