The 1979 Major League Baseball season concluded with the Pittsburgh Pirates defeating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in the 1979 World Series.
*Denotes walk-off Twenty-two teams (all but the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals) signed a one-year cable deal with United Artists Television and Columbia Pictures Television, then-owners of the USA Network.
[30] The deal involved the airing of Thursday Night Baseball[31] in markets at least 50 miles (80 km) from a major league park.
[32] The deal earned Major League Baseball less than $500,000, but led to a new two-year contract for 40–45 games per season.
[33][34] ABC aired Monday Night Baseball and the World Series.