Major League Baseball has officially cut ties with ESPN as a national television partner after the 2025 season, and honestly… it was long overdue. Commissioner Rob Manfred laid out the reasons for the decision in a letter to the league’s owners, and it was clear that the relationship between MLB and ESPN had been on life support for a while. From dwindling ratings and minimal coverage to ESPN approaching MLB to reduce the $550 million they spend annually, it was becoming obvious that ESPN wasn’t giving baseball the respect it deserves.

A One-Sided Relationship

ESPN’s treatment of Major League Baseball has been a glaring issue for years. While the network bends over backward to showcase as many teams and matchups as possible for Monday Night Football—giving even smaller market NFL teams the national spotlight—baseball fans were left watching the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox on repeat. It felt like if your favorite team didn’t play in a major market, you had to cross your fingers and hope for a miracle to see them on Sunday Night Baseball.

Manfred’s letter made it clear that this favoritism was one of the sticking points in the league’s dissatisfaction with ESPN. While marquee matchups are great for ratings, baseball is built on the fabric of 30 teams, each with passionate fanbases that deserve to be showcased. Fans in places like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Milwaukee deserve to see their teams in primetime too—not just when they’re playing the Yankees.

ESPN’s Shrinking Commitment

Perhaps the straw that broke the camel’s back was ESPN’s request to reduce the value of their current deal. Imagine paying $550 million annually for broadcasting rights and still feeling like you’re overpaying. That’s exactly the message ESPN sent to MLB when they tried to negotiate a lower price for the next deal. It’s no wonder Manfred felt disrespected—especially when the league is coming off record-breaking viewership for the 2024 World Series and a noticeable rise in engagement following rule changes designed to speed up the game.

Declining Ratings and Waning Interest

It’s no secret that ESPN’s ratings have been trending in the wrong direction. Sunday Night Baseball used to be a must-watch event for fans, but over the years, viewership has slipped. Not to mention that Baseball Tonight has received multiple downgrades in recent years – going from one hour nightly to 30 minutes nightly, to one hour weekly, and now is mostly and audio-only podcast – a long fall for what was once one of the network’s most popular shows. Combine that with ESPN’s decision to shift focus toward the NFL and NBA, and it became clear that baseball was becoming an afterthought for the network. Even the NHL is receiving nightly exposure, with almost every matchup available to stream on ESPN+. Manfred’s decision sends a strong message: If you’re not going to give us the same energy and exposure as the other major sports, then we’ll find someone who will.

Even though ESPN is hopeful about striking a new deal with MLB, it’s hard to see how that happens without a serious shift in priorities. If the network continues to favor big-market teams and fails to showcase the full spectrum of talent across the league, it’s unlikely that Manfred—or the league’s owners—will be willing to give them a second chance.

Other networks, including streaming giants like Amazon and Apple TV+, have already expressed interest in filling the gap left by ESPN, and they may offer MLB a better opportunity to showcase its diverse talent and broaden its national footprint.

At the end of the day, Rob Manfred’s decision to cut ties with ESPN feels like a win for baseball fans. The league deserves a broadcast partner that respects the game and its fans, not one that treats MLB as a second-tier sport. If ESPN isn’t willing to step up and give baseball the coverage and variety it deserves, then it’s time for MLB to move on. As we head into the post-ESPN era, one thing’s for sure: Baseball fans can finally hope for a more balanced and inclusive national spotlight.