Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred took a parting shot at ESPN while announcing the end of the media rights deal between MLB and ESPN at the end of the 2025 season.
In a letter to league owners obtained by The Athletic, Manfred explained the reasoning behind the parting of ways, citing “the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.”
Aware of MLB’s discontent, ESPN offered to pay $550 million each of the next three years, which the sports network thought was above market value. However, with an opt-out clause upcoming on March 1st, both sides elected to end the partnership rather than rework a new deal.
“We do not think it’s beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform,” Manfred wrote to the owners. “In order to best position MLB…
