Major League Baseball's TV rights contract with ESPN, established in 2021 and set to continue until 2028, will end after the 2025 season. Both MLB and ESPN opted out of the final three years, with ESPN believed to be the first to initiate this. Despite the termination, ESPN will continue to broadcast specific events like "Sunday Night Baseball" and the Home Run Derby. MLB aims to seek new partnerships for its broadcasting needs, as they believe viewership and demographics warrant better investment from networks.
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.
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