Major League Baseball and ESPN are breaking up. And let’s just say—it’s quite a scandal. They are after all calling it quits after sticking together for 35 years. It’s the end of one of the longest-running partnerships in sports television. Now ESPN will still air Sunday Night Baseball and the wild card round of the playoffs through 2025. But the network is walking away from its $550 million per year broadcasting deal.

Are you thinking—Are they insane? Why would they do so?

ESPN asked MLB about cutting its rights fees. This was an effort to seek relief from a contract that exceeded Apple TV’s $85 million per year deal and Roku’s $10 million per year deal. But MLB was not happy, and with ESPN’s baseball coverage, Rob Manfred very publicly threw shade at the network’s coverage, which is quite scaled back over the years. But let’s cut through that PR talk. The question is, with ESPN out of the picture, where will MLB turn to for a new era?

MLB’s next move—traditional or modern?

Now with ESPN stepping out, MLB has a big choice to make. Will they stick with the traditional TV networks or lean into the modern streaming platforms? Right now they already have big money deals running, including.

• Fox: $729 million per year
• Turner Sports (TBS): $470 million per year
• Apple TV+: $85 million per year
• Roku: $10 million per year

However, losing ESPN sure hurts them on a national level. But they are not short of suitors. According to reports, the league has been in talks with several interested parties for several months and expects offers to pour in soon. Will there be a new era in MLB broadcasting? Let’s look into who may be on the run.

Amazon Prime Video: The front runner? 

Amazon has been at the forefront when it comes to making major plays in love sports. They secured NFL Thursday Night Football rights. And also amidst MLB broadcasts through regional deals. So could they become the new home for Sunday night baseball? Sure, they can, but the money is a huge challenge now. MLB has priced its streaming deals low, like $10 million for Roku and more. So convincing Amazon to shell cash like ESPN won’t be a walk in the park.

The CW or Ion: long shot, but possible

MLB simply could pivot back to the traditional TV. And that way, under-the-radar players like The CW and Ion might want to chime in. They are not known for being major sports-friendly, but they have been expanding their live event footprint. CW also scooped in NASCAR’s lower-tier series and ACC college football. So one thing is for sure—they are hungry for more. So it remains to see if baseball could be next.

NBC or CBS: Not likely but not impossible

Now NBC has dipped its toes into Major League Baseball through Peacock in 2023. But that deal kind of died and fizzled out. CBS is tossed up in a sale drama and probably won’t throw money around, at least big money in baseball.  But if MLB wants to stay within the major networks, these are dark horses. But whoever MLB chooses will change or alter the fan experience of watching the games for years to come.

Was it a clean break?

Now everyone knows each of the parties had their reasons. But the elephant in the room is not that; it’s rather—was the break mutual? While both MLB and ESPN have framed it as mutual, the details tell a different tale. ESPN, in a statement, mentioned, “We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with Major League Baseball and proud of how ESPN’s coverage super-serves fans. 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.”

MLB, on the other hand, said, “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. We will be exploring those opportunities for a new agreement, which would start in the 2026 season following the conclusion of ESPN’s agreement at the end of this year.” According to CNN Sports Kyle Feldscher, ESPN was the one who made this move to literally move. And it was not completely mutual.

“A source with knowledge of ESPN’s approach to the negotiations disputed the idea that the split was mutual. The source told CNN that ESPN opted out of the contract and was surprised by commissioner Rob Manfred’s note to MLB owners that the league and network had mutually agreed to end their relationship,” reported Feldscher. So ESPN has an opt-out clause in their contract, and they decided to exercise it after all. Right now, though, MLB has a bigger problem at hand.

Local TV is the biggest issue for MLB

Finding a replacement for ESPN is one story. But MLB’s real challenge is keeping the local broadcast alive. More than 80% of baseball viewership comes from regional sports networks, or RSNs. And many of those networks are struggling. Even that would be an understatement because Bally Sports, which holds the rights to 12 MLB teams, is bankrupt!

This leaves MLB with a bigger question—how can they ensure fans still watch their teams? The road ahead isn’t about finding the next partner; it’s about changing up how fans really consume the game.

Now it’s up to the league to decide if they go for traditional networks or on platforms like Apple, Amazon, or the rest. Where do you think the weights are tipped? Let us know in the comments.