Major League Baseball (MLB) and film production company, Imagine Entertainment, have announced a strategic multi-year agreement to create non-scripted film and television series, aiming to spotlight the rich stories and personalities from throughout the league’s 150-year history.

The deal will see the production of pioneer programming that includes media from the MLB’s expansions Film & Video Archive to cover historical and cultural subjects, whilst leveraging access granted by the league to profile modern-day baseball storylines.

The pair’s first project, a documentary event feature on the 2023 World Series, is set to explore the intersecting narratives on and off the field, that surround the high-stakes climax of one of America’s favourite sporting competitions.

Commenting on the partnership, MLB chief revenue officer, Noah Garden, said: “Collaborating with Ron Howard and Imagine is a dream come true.”

“The opportunities that come with two premier global media companies partnering are limitless.

“Couple that with Ron’s passionate and vocal fandom for the game of baseball and we know we have a framework to produce unmatched content for fans to enjoy across a collection of platforms,” Garden said.

Imagine Entertainment co-founder and director, Ron Howard, shared his excitement to venturing into the baseball world, adding: “I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium. These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine, and I are so excited to be teaming up with Major League Baseball to bring more of their stories to life.”

This announcement comes after the MLB’s Kansas City Royals made a historic hire to target mental health.