MLB Network hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday for its new state-of-the-art facility in Elmwood Park, N.J., set to open by the 2028 MLB season. The event marks a significant upgrade for the Emmy-winning network, which continues to produce high-quality baseball content amid evolving media landscapes. Key figures including Commissioner Rob Manfred attended to celebrate the project's start.
The ceremony took place at the site of a former Marcal Paper warehouse, which operated for nine decades before a fire destroyed it in 2019. Crow Holdings purchased the property and developed a 207,000-square-foot trophy industrial building inspired by the original structure. This new facility will house MLB Network's production studios, offices, and the Major League Baseball Film & Video Archive, featuring cutting-edge technology to enhance production excellence.
Bill Morningstar, MLB Network's president, highlighted the symbolic importance of the move. "When you look at the MLB Network logo, it's built around home plate," Morningstar said. "That's symbolic because the network serves as the home for fans of baseball across the entire U.S. Today is a big moment for us."
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the network's role in baseball media. "When you have a network that's won more than 40 Emmys in different categories and produces the kind of content that we see on the network every day, it needs a facility that lives up to that standard," Manfred said. He added that MLB Network is central to MLB's media strategy, producing over 3,000 hours of live programming annually and content for partners like Apple TV, Peacock, and Roku.
Since its 2009 launch, MLB Network has earned 42 Sports Emmy Awards across 15 categories and just recorded its most-watched season in seven years. Shows such as MLB Central, Intentional Talk, and Quick Pitch drive its around-the-clock coverage.
Elmwood Park Mayor Robert Colletti praised the development. "Out of the ashes of that infamous Marcal fire came Crow Holdings," he said. "They did everything right... I think it's because of that that it conjured the interest of Major League Baseball."
Clark Machemer of Crow Holdings expressed excitement: "When we first heard that the Major League Baseball Network might have an interest in this building, we sort of pinched ourselves."
Lauren Shehadi emceed the event, attended by MLB executives, local officials, and project team members from firms like CBRE and JRM Construction.