MLB said that ESPN has been scaling back its baseball coverage and investment “in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance.”
The American sports network ESPN has opted out of its broadcasting deal with Major League Baseball (MLB), as ESPN itself reports. The two had signed a seven-year deal in 2021, and the option to continue for the next three years or wrap things up by March 1 was available. ESPN made its decision about two weeks before. Its coverage will cease at the end of the forthcoming 2025 season.
“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,” the network has announced, adding that it remains open to “exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”
MLB said in a statement that ESPN has been scaling back its baseball coverage and investment “in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance” on the network and has rejected as “simply unacceptable” its demand to reduce rights fees. “As a result, we have mutually agreed to terminate our agreement.”
MLB further stated that it has seen “significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming services” in covering its games.
The league’s deals with Fox and Turner Sports, which expire after the 2028 season, generate average annual revenues of $729 million and $470 million, respectively.
Apple is paying MLB $85 million a year to stream two games per week, through a seven-year deal signed in 2022. Roku is paying $30 million over three years to broadcast Sunday games.
