The Bad News Nears: MLB-ESPN Say Their Alliance Is About To Strike Out
Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 10:46PM By Barry Janoff
February 20, 2025: MLB is currently testing the Automated Ball-Strike System, which as early as the 2026 regulars season could be employed to aid MLB home plate umpires, though not replace them.
By then, the current alliance between MLB and ESPN will already have struck out.
The current contact has a March 1 deadline for MLB and ESPN to opt out of the final three years, which both said they have agreed to do.
MLB and ESPN signed a seven-year deal in 2021 that averaged $550 million per season, according to industry analysts.
In addition, ESPN Radio will no longer carry national Major League Baseball after this season, ending its 27-year run as the exclusive national radio parter of MLB, according to Sports Media Watch.
“We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990,” MLB said via the league office.
“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.”
According to ESPN, via its executive office, “We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with Major League Baseball and proud of how ESPN’s coverage super-serves fans.
“As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”
“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.”
MLB currently has national broadcast deals with Fox, ESPN and Turner Sports platforms including TBS. Games also air on MLB Network.
Apple TV and The Roku Channel also have deals with MLB.
The previous MLB-ESPN eight-year deal ran from 2014 through 2021.
The current ESPN deal, initially scheduled to expire after the 2028 season, includes 30 games nationally — 25 of which air on “Sunday Night Baseball” — the Opening Night game each season and the Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game.
This past season, ESPN and ABC aired the AL and NL Wild Card Series.
ESPN said the 2024 MLB Wild Card Series, which aired exclusively on ESPN platforms, was the most-watched ever. The nine-game event — New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox — which included games on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, averaged 2,823,000 viewers, up 25% from 2023.
Staring March 3, ESPN will air MLB Spring Training Games.
Fox Sports platforms will air the MLB Tokyo Series March 18-19 between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers to open the 2025 season.
Joe Buck, the voice of ESPN’s Monday Night Football and veteran of 24 World Series, will call his first national MLB game since the 2021 World Series on March 27. Buck will provide play-by-play for ESPN’s exclusive MLB Opening Day presentation of the Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees.
That evening, the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Detroit Tigers also on ESPN
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