There is a big shake-up in the sports world as we head into 2025. The end of this baseball season isn’t just wrapping up games-it’s closing the book on ESPN and Major League Baseball‘s long-time fling. Announced on Thursday as spring training kicked off, both sides called it a mutual split after decades together. So, what’s the deal with ESPN’s MLB exit, and what’s next for baseball on TV?
ESPN’s been beaming MLB action since 1990, but their partnership’s hitting the bench after 2025. “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.
They’re chalking it up to smart money moves, saying, “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.” Sounds like they’re keeping options open, hinting they’d consider a cheaper deal down the road-think smaller packages like MLB’s Roku setup.
MLB, though, wasn’t shy about their feelings. “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,” the league fired back. They’re bummed about ESPN trimming down to 30 regular-season games-mostly Sunday nights-plus the wild-card series and Home Run Derby, a far cry from the 90-game feast of their 2014-2021 deal. “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,” MLB added, signaling they’re ready to shop around.
What happens after ESPN drops MLB in 2025? Streaming steps up
This all ties back to a seven-year, $550 million-per-season pact signed in 2021, with a March 1 opt-out deadline for the final three years. Now, with ESPN stepping back, MLB’s eyeing fresh faces-think traditional broadcasters and streamers hungry for games. They’re already cozy with Fox ($729 million yearly through 2028), Turner Sports ($470 million), Roku ($10 million for Sundays), and Apple+ ($85 million for Fridays). MLB’s even flexing its own MLB Network muscle.
ESPN’s not shutting the door entirely. “As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025,” they noted.
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