In what was not a totally unexpected move, MLB and ESPN have agreed to end their current broadcast deal early. As a result, the current broadcast agreement will come to an end after the 2025 season.
In recent weeks it had become clear that there was the possibility that ESPN and the MLB wouldn’t continue with their existing deal. Even though the deal was due to continue through 2028, it is understood that there was the option to opt out before the start of March 2025.
The two sides have now both independently confirmed that they are not interested in continuing with their existing agreement, prematurely bringing to an end the current TV rights deal.
According to MLB, the league doesn’t feel as those ESPN is the right partner anymore, even suggesting that ESPN coverage and investment in the sport has continually declined. At the same time, MLB accused ESPN of demanding “unacceptable” reduced rights fees.
“We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990. 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,” MLB said in a statement.
ESPN, on the other hand, simply explained its decision to opt out of the current deal was a fiscal decision.
“We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with Major League Baseball and proud of how ESPN’s coverage super-serves fans,” the network 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.”
With the broadcast deal now confirmed to end at the climax of the 2025 season, we can expect to see a barrage of reports coming through linking future seasons of MLB with new partners.
As part of its statement, MLB explained that the “positive energy around the sport” has led to “significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming services” and that it will be “exploring those opportunities” ahead of the start of the 2026 season.
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