After the 2025 MLB season, ESPN’s MLB rights are expiring. The ESPN-MLB contract was supposed to run through the 2028 MLB season, but it will end after the 2025 MLB season instead.
Even with ESPN MLB rights expiring after the 2025 season, the “Sunday Night Baseball” ratings have increased to begin the season. Last Sunday night, the Chicago Cubs faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the first time in 2025 that both teams were featured on “Sunday Night Baseball.” It will not be the last time that they will be featured on “Sunday Night Baseball” during the 2025 MLB season.
MLB Reporter Announces Viewership Went Up With the Los Angeles Dodgers On ESPN
The Cubs and the Dodgers faced each other on “Sunday Night Baseball” on April 13. The Cubs defeated the Dodgers 4-2. According to Andrew Marchand, a writer for The Athletic, said on his Twitter page, “Nearly 2 million people watched Dodgers-Cubs on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. That’s 30 percent higher than what SNB averaged last year.”
Los Angeles will be on “Sunday Night Baseball” two more times before the month of June. They will face the Atlanta Braves on the road on May 4, and the Dodgers will be on the road against the New York Mets on May 25. One of the reasons why Los Angeles probably drew a lot of ratings on “Sunday Night Baseball” is because of superstar Shohei Ohtani. There is no doubt that he is drawing viewers for the sport.
During the 2024 MLB season, the top three “Sunday Night Baseball” games were the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on July 7 with 2.4 million viewers, the Dodgers and the Yankees on June 9 with 2.3 million viewers, and the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers on August 18 with 2.2 million viewers.
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It remains to be seen how the rest of the season will go with viewership with “Sunday Night Baseball” despite ESPN and MLB dropping out of the TV deal after the 2025 MLB season.
Los Angeles will also be on “Sunday Night Baseball” when they face the Yankees on June 1. This is the kind of matchup that could draw a lot of viewers to the television.
ESPN cited a combination of factors as to why they opted out of the deal. It included fiscal responsibility and a desire to optimize their live events portfolio, according to ESPN and MLB’s desire to optimize their own rights. During the 2025 season, ESPN will also air the MLB Little League Classic between the Seattle Mariners and the Mets on August 17.
The San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers will also be on “Sunday Night Baseball” on July 6. During rivalry week on May 18, the “Sunday Night Baseball” game will feature the Mets and the Yankees. Later in the season, the Red Sox and the Yankees will also be aired. ESPN will also air playoff games in 2025. It is interesting that the Dodgers have already drawn viewers to “Sunday Night Baseball” early in the season despite the MLB-ESPN contract ending.