The New York Yankees became the first...

The New York Yankees became the first major league baseball team to sell all of its television rights to a cable network when they announced a 12-year deal with the Madison Square Garden Network.

The MSG Network will show 75 games in each of the 1989 and 1990 seasons. WPIX-TV, which has carried Yankee games for 38 years, also will show 75 games each of those years under an existing contract. Starting in 1991 and through the year 2000, MSG has exclusive rights to 150 games a season.

A source familiar with the deal said it was worth about $500 million.

MSG Network reaches 2.3 million households through more than 110 cable systems in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. On 90% of cable systems, MSG is part of basic cable, meaning that there is no extra charge for the viewer.