ESPN and MLB’s fallout could open up another streaming sports bidding war
Disney’s ESPN and Major League Baseball are parting ways, ending a 35-year media rights relationship after the 2025 season.
ESPN reportedly sought to lower its $550 million per year fee, citing cheaper agreements the league struck with streamers like Apple ($85 million per year) and Roku ($10 million). When that didn’t work, the parties agreed to walk.
ESPN’s deal — originally set to expire after 2028 — gave the cable kingpin the league’s prime-time weekly Sunday night game, as well as the Home Run Derby and a chunk of the playoffs. Neither side ruled out a future reunion.
The MLB, which enjoyed a ratings and live attendance resurgence last year, is likely hoping to replicate some of the streaming bidding wars that have boosted other sports leagues’ deals (though its rights packages are less nationalized than other leagues). That will likely make the sports streaming landscape, which is already the Wild West and infuriating for fans, even more complex.
The NFL receives about $12 billion annually (including $2 billion from YouTube), and the NBA about $7 billion (with $1.9 billion from Amazon). Netflix’s 10-year, $5 billion deal for WWE’s “Raw” officially began last month. Meanwhile, Hollywood insiders have complained that these massive deals are causing streamers to drastically cut their original content spending.
ESPN’s deal — originally set to expire after 2028 — gave the cable kingpin the league’s prime-time weekly Sunday night game, as well as the Home Run Derby and a chunk of the playoffs. Neither side ruled out a future reunion.
The MLB, which enjoyed a ratings and live attendance resurgence last year, is likely hoping to replicate some of the streaming bidding wars that have boosted other sports leagues’ deals (though its rights packages are less nationalized than other leagues). That will likely make the sports streaming landscape, which is already the Wild West and infuriating for fans, even more complex.
The NFL receives about $12 billion annually (including $2 billion from YouTube), and the NBA about $7 billion (with $1.9 billion from Amazon). Netflix’s 10-year, $5 billion deal for WWE’s “Raw” officially began last month. Meanwhile, Hollywood insiders have complained that these massive deals are causing streamers to drastically cut their original content spending.
