MLB and ESPN Part Ways: What’s Next for Baseball Broadcasts?
So, big news in the sports world—Major League Baseball and ESPN are officially parting ways after the 2025 season. This decision comes as both sides mutually agreed to opt out of the final three years of their current TV contract, which was set to run through 2028. And honestly, it’s not all that surprising.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made it pretty clear that the league hasn’t been happy with ESPN’s coverage beyond the live games. He even pointed out that ESPN's shrinking audience—thanks to the decline of traditional cable—just doesn't align with MLB's long-term goals. The contract was worth around $550 million per year, and ESPN wasn’t feeling like they were getting enough value for that price tag. So, instead of renegotiating a cheaper deal, both sides are choosing to walk away.
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This breakup doesn’t mean ESPN is completely done with baseball. They’ll still broadcast Sunday Night Baseball and the Wild Card playoffs for the 2025 season. And, according to ESPN, they’re still open to working with MLB in some way after that. But let’s be real—MLB is looking elsewhere for its next big media deal, and that likely means a shift toward streaming platforms.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen MLB start dipping its toes into streaming deals with Apple and Roku. Apple pays $85 million a year, and Roku chips in $10 million for a smaller package of games. Compared to the massive ESPN deal, those numbers seem tiny, but they also reflect how much the sports media landscape is changing.
Manfred’s memo to team owners hints that MLB has been talking to multiple potential partners for the next phase of their media rights. Could we see Amazon, Netflix, or even YouTube get a bigger piece of baseball? Maybe even a traditional network like NBC or CBS jumps in. One thing’s for sure—MLB doesn’t want to stay tied down to a shrinking cable network when streaming is the future.
Ratings have been solid for baseball lately. Sunday Night Baseball was up 6% in 2024, and the 2024 Wild Card Series was the most-watched ever. The Home Run Derby remains one of the biggest summer sports events. So, there’s definitely demand. The big question is: where will baseball fans be tuning in to watch their favorite teams in 2026 and beyond?
It’s the end of an era for MLB and ESPN, but also the start of a new chapter. Who’s going to step up and grab those broadcast rights? We should have some answers in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.
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