While Major League Baseball has worked to expand their reach through streaming agreements over recent years, their TV rights contract with ESPN is poised to come to an end after the 2025 season.
The decision is being presented by MLB and ESPN as a mutual one. There reportedly was a March 1 deadline for both sides to opt out of the final three years of an agreement that extended through the 2028 season otherwise. The contract has been in place since 2021.
It’s believed ESPN was first to decide on opting out, and MLB followed suit.
The self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports began broadcasting MLB games in 1990.
While the TV contract won’t continue beyond this year, ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcasts will air like normal in 2025, along with the Home Run Derby, and the network is still going to carry Wild Card Series games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were selected for five “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts through June. ESPN will announce additional selections for teams at a later date.
MLB presumably will look to find a new TV partner to take on the package of games and special events that have belonged to ESPN.
MLB, ESPN ‘mutually agree’
MLB statement
“We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance on their platform. Given that MLB provides strong viewership, valuable demographics, and the exclusive right to cover unique events like the Home Run Derby, ESPN’s demand to reduce rights fees is simply unacceptable. As a result, we have mutually agreed to terminate our agreement.
“Entering the 2025 season, MLB is enjoying tremendous momentum led by generational talent on the field and an entertaining brand of baseball due to rule changes which have improved the pace of play and action on the field. The results have generated increases in attendance, viewership, streaming, international growth and overall fan engagement.
“The positive energy around the sport has also led to significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming services who would like to obtain rights to MLB games. We will be exploring those opportunities for a new agreement which would start in the 2026 season following the conclusion of ESPN’s agreement at the end of this year.
“The MLB-ESPN partnership has been an important and long-lasting relationship that has helped both organizations achieve great success. As we get ready for the 36th season of Sunday Night Baseball, we look forward to a successful final year of MLB on ESPN in 2025.”
ESPN statement
“We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with Major League Baseball and proud of how ESPN’s coverage super-serves fans,” ESPN said in a statement.
“In making this decision, we applied the same discipline and fiscal responsibility that has built ESPN’s industry-leading live events portfolio as we continue to grow our audience across linear, digital and social platforms. As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”
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