MLB ESPN contract cancelled

[Juan]

View: https://youtu.be/Sl3A9LNEBr8?si=yUYjEKoExfd0n1Nl


I missed this

 

[Jimbo]

ESPN, took thier Bats and Balls and went home ... WaaaaHHH

 

[Bruce]

View: https://youtu.be/Sl3A9LNEBr8?si=yUYjEKoExfd0n1Nl


I missed this

Already posted in the Cord Cutters Forum.

And the same answer, ESPN is paying a extreme amount for something that receives absolutely terrible ratings.

ESPN pays $550 Million, while Apple only pays $85M, Roku $10M.

But, the ratings for each Sunday Night Game on ESPN, was only 577,000 Households, out of 68 Million Households that still has Paid Live TV.

ESPN Disputes Breakup With MLB Over National TV Deal Was 'Mutual'

The network has been partners with MLB since 1990.

www.si.com

 

[Jimbo]

Already posted in the Cord Cutters Forum.

And the same answer, ESPN is paying a extreme amount for something that receives absolutely terrible ratings.

ESPN pays $550 Million, while Apple only pays $85M, Roku $10M.

But, the ratings for each Sunday Night Game on ESPN, was only 577,000 Households, out of 68 Million Households that still has Paid Live TV.

ESPN Disputes Breakup With MLB Over National TV Deal Was 'Mutual'

The network has been partners with MLB since 1990.

www.si.com

Of course Apple and Roku aern't going to pay the same, thier packages are only a single game ....

Back in the day espn use to be the place to go for games ... not anymore.

As mentioned previously, IF Your Game isn't on, are you tuning to ESPN anymore ????

It may as well become the NBA network and Who's Yelling at Who Today network.

 

[b4pjoe]

Of course Apple and Roku aern't going to pay the same, thier packages are only a single game ....

Back in the day espn use to be the place to go for games ... not anymore.

As mentioned previously, IF Your Game isn't on, are you tuning to ESPN anymore ????

It may as well become the NBA network and Who's Yelling at Who Today network.

ESPN carries 30 regular season games and the Wild Card postseason series. Apple TV+ carries two games on Friday nights and while I don't know the total number of games they carry for the season I would bet it is more than 30.

 

[Jimbo]

ESPN carries 30 regular season games and the Wild Card postseason series. Apple TV+ carries two games on Friday nights and while I don't know the total number of games they carry for the season I would bet it is more than 30.

Your saying that ESPN ONLY carries 30 MLB games a Year ?
I thought they were caring a REAL package of games.

If thats the case, I don't blame MLB Baseball on bit.

Like I mentioned, I only turn it on IF My Game is on it.

 

[b4pjoe]

Your saying that ESPN ONLY carries 30 MLB games a Year ?
I thought they were caring a REAL package of games.

If thats the case, I don't blame MLB Baseball on bit.

Like I mentioned, I only turn it on IF My Game is on it.

Yes 30 regular season games and the Wildcard playoff round.

 

[cpalmer2k]

I agree with ESPN in this situation. They're overpaying for something they're not getting a good return on. Heck doesn't Apple actually stream more games per year than ESPN does? I think I saw one article that said they got up to 50 games per season?

I could see the CW picking up Broadcast rights to the ESPN package. It would be a good buy for them at the right price.

 

[b4pjoe]

I agree with ESPN in this situation. They're overpaying for something they're not getting a good return on. Heck doesn't Apple actually stream more games per year than ESPN does? I think I saw one article that said they got up to 50 games per season?

I could see the CW picking up Broadcast rights to the ESPN package. It would be a good buy for them at the right price.

There are 27 Fridays in the upcoming season. If Apple has 2 games on all of them that would be 54 games.

 

[AZ.]

Well I thought all they show are Yankee games, Red Sox games, or Yankee Red Sox games?

 

[Bruce]

The network argued the market had shifted, with a source noting to CNN that the cost no longer matched the value of the games it aired—especially as summer sports like the NHL Playoffs and WNBA gain traction. MLB, however, stood firm, with Manfred emphasizing in his memo that ESPN's package, including exclusive Sunday night windows and postseason rights, far outstripped the streaming deals in scope and prestige. "We have rejected ESPN's aggressive effort to reduce rights fees," he wrote, a stance that apparently led ESPN to walk away rather than compromise.

ESPN’s Split from MLB Reportedly Wasn’t Mutual As MLB Claimed | Cord Cutters News

In a twist that’s reverberating through the sports media world, the end of ESPN’s decades-long partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) after the 2025 season wasn’t the amicable breakup it first appeared to be. While MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred framed the decision as a “mutual agreement” in...

cordcuttersnews.com

Manfred is delusional, each games averages only less than .9% of Households that still have Paid Live TV (68 Million).

Each game (if 30) costs $18 Million each, advertising revenue is about $1M a game at that awful rating.

Rumors are, ESPN wanted to pay around $150M.

There is no way the MLB will even get $50 Million from anyone else.

 

[Juan]

I think you guys forgot to count ESPN+ games too..same contract

ESPN+ Unveils Major League Baseball Game Schedule for March and April

ESPN today announced its ESPN+ Major League Baseball game schedule on for March and April. The 2024 campaign begins on Opening Day, Thursday, March 28, with a rematch of the National League Division Series as Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies host Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves...

espnpressroom.com

 

[Bruce]

I think you guys forgot to count ESPN+ games too..same contract

ESPN+ Unveils Major League Baseball Game Schedule for March and April

ESPN today announced its ESPN+ Major League Baseball game schedule on for March and April. The 2024 campaign begins on Opening Day, Thursday, March 28, with a rematch of the National League Division Series as Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies host Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves...

espnpressroom.com

Nope, two separate deals, the content on ESPN+ is a separate $150M deal, which brings the total to $700M, both deals are are up after this upcoming season, since ESPN triggered the option to get out of the deal.

 

[Jimbo]

Nope, two separate deals, the content on ESPN+ is a separate $150M deal, which brings the total to $700M, both deals are are up after this upcoming season, since ESPN triggered the option to get out of the deal.

So ESPN backed out of Both contracts ?

What good is a Contract, if they can just say No ???

I'm gonna guess the opt outs were part of the original contract ?

 

[Jimbo]

Many don't like the job Manfred is doing ...
The majority of the things he's done sound like a Whimsical move, just to make change.

The Rules for Extra Innings is high on my list.

 

[Bruce]

So ESPN backed out of Both contracts ?

What good is a Contract, if they can just say No ???

I'm gonna guess the opt outs were part of the original contract ?

Yep, which MLB agreed to.

Pretty intelligent on ESPN's end, to have that in the contract.

I bet Fox wishes they had the same option, their contract is $729M a year.

Fox airs 52 Regular Season Games, plus 40 on FS1, also the MLB All-Star Game, two Division Series, one League Championship Series, and the World Series, so at least 18 more games.

That is 110 games per year, at $729M, averages to $6.6M per game, plus production costs, so about $7.5M per game.

Average rating on Fox during the regular season, 1,879,000M people, translates to 722,692 households ( out of 131M in the United States), that is roughly .6% of Households.

Advertising Revenue on such a low rating, probably about $1.5M per Game, so they are losing about $6M per Regular Season Game.