The split between MLB and ESPN announced Thursday had been brewing for months, even years, and many sports media figures found the news almost inevitable.
That left many reminiscing about the glory days of MLB on ESPN, of Baseball Tonight and the network airing games several nights a week.
MLB and ESPN have mutually agreed that after the 2025 season they’ll opt out of their seven-year, $550 million per year deal that began in 2021.
That means no more Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, no more Home Run Derby, and no more ESPN Wild Card games.
It also means an end to Baseball Tonight. Although the once-nightly show has been a shadow of its former self since moving to Sundays only in 2017, for a generation of baseball fans, Baseball Tonight was must-see TV.
That show’s classic past have been a hot topic in recent days after a viral social media video showed ESPN’s Gary Striewski touring the old Baseball Tonight studios.
For fans of Baseball Tonight, The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” would have worked well as background music. https://t.co/DauBlaTAvn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 19, 2025
To be sure, many sports media were looking ahead to the impact of the MLB-ESPN split, as well as the causes (ESPN felt it had overpaid for rights, MLB wanted more studio coverage). Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina wondered if the move might result in MLB selling Wild Card broadcast rights to a streaming service.
Sunday Night Baseball is just whatever. What will be interesting is if MLB, with its older audience, will sell the wild-card round, which currently airs on ESPN, to a streaming service. https://t.co/BProk6XtaR
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) February 21, 2025
Yet the general reaction of many sports media to the news seemed to be resignation. That left many looking in the rearview mirror at the long, successful relationship between the two sides. Older fans will never forget when Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela threw back-to-back no-hitters on an ESPN doubleheader. That happened on June 29, 1990, in MLB and ESPN’s first season together.
Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela on 6/29/90 throwing a no-hitter each on back-to-back telecasts on ESPN. I was there watching. pic.twitter.com/qTEDzikUyb
— X-avier (@JavWonderful) August 4, 2024
The crown jewel of ESPN’s coverage, Baseball Tonight, was there every night to run down the day’s results, break in for live at-bats, cover trade news and provide fantasy baseball stats at a time before dial-up Internet was even a thing.
Sports media shared their memories of MLB on ESPN’s past.
Baseball Tonight was a regular, nightly program at one point. It was a must-watch for me as a kid – I remember following things like Gary Sheffield’s triple crown chase with the Padres via like look-ins – in addition to watching the live MLB broadcasts, which are ending soon ……
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) February 21, 2025
The ESPN/MLB news is just sad.
‘Baseball Tonight’ was truly a joy and as exciting as anything I’d watch as a baseball fan in the ’90s.
Trade deadline specials (when we didn’t have social media), even just stuff like All-Star week coverage… just wasn’t anything like it then.
— Matt Clapp (@TheBlogfines) February 21, 2025
The old Baseball Tonight of the ‘90s was so good. Just a perfect show. Along with baseball cards and box scores, it hooked you on the game. https://t.co/GQLRh3s05v
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) February 21, 2025
As a longtime fan, tough for me to imagine MLB not being on ESPN, but here we are, with the two sides opting out of the final 3 years of that deal (2026, 2027, 2028), per @EvanDrellich.
VERY suprising to see MLB torch a longtime media partner like that in a public letter
— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) February 20, 2025
End of an era. My whole life era. No more MLB on ESPN.
I now have ZERO reason to watch that network.
Thanks Disney and ESPN for allowing this to happen.
— Chris DiFrancesco (@ChrisDiFran3) February 20, 2025
As noted, many viewed this news as almost inevitable. The glory years of MLB on ESPN happened a long time ago.