Only one month before the start of the 2025 season, MLB and ESPN have “agreed” to finish their television agreement at the end of this year, according to a memorandum sent to the owners by the Commissioner of the Robred League League on Thursday.
According to the reports, ESPN had paid approximately $ 550 million to the league in each of the next three years. The Network and MLB have been transmission partners since 1990.
But with Apple paying only $ 85 million annually for baseball rights, and MLB 'no … pleased with the minimum coverage that MLB has received on ESPN platforms in recent years outside the real live game coverage, 'The dos sides' current' The agreement will now expire at the end of the 2025 season.
According The AtléticoThat he obtained and reported for the first time in the Manfred Memorandum, ESPN was the first to choose not to participate due to the inflated costs of the current agreement, before MLB followed his example and also agreed to choose not to participate.
“We do not believe it is beneficial for us to accept a smaller agreement to remain on a reduced platform,” Manfred wrote in the memo. 'To better position the MLB to optimize our rights in our next cycle of agreement, we believe that it is not wise in a new transmission and/or transmission platform.
“To that end, we have been in conversations with several interested parties about these rights in recent months and we hope to have at least two potential options for consideration in the coming weeks.”
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers will begin the season on March 18 against the puppies in Tokyo
But MLB has affirmed that this season will be the 'last year of MLB in ESPN' in a press release
For its part, ESPN added that the company “applied the same discipline and fiscal responsibility that has built the Leaders Live Events portfolio in the ESPN industry as we continue to grow to our audience on linear, digital and social platforms.”
The network added that it is 'open to explore new ways to serve MLB fans on our platforms beyond 2025.'
However, MLB later called this season the 'last year of MLB in ESPN' in a Press release.
In addition to Apple, Roku is also paying $ 10 million per season for baseball rights.
ESPN will continue to transmit baseball games on Sunday night and comfortable as usual during this season.
The season begins from March 18 to 19 with a series of two games between the Dodgers and the puppies in Tokyo.