Will Major League Baseball maintain its presence on ESPN after the 2025 season? Karl Ravech, the voice behind ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, remains hopeful. In February, it was disclosed that MLB and ESPN had mutually chosen not to renew their agreement after the 2025 season, a decision that had been anticipated for some time. However, Ravech expressed optimism during a media call with Mollie Cahillane from Sports Business Journal, suggesting that discussions for a new deal are ongoing.
“There are very smart people that are trying to figure out ways to move forward with Major League Baseball,” he stated. “That’s way above my pay grade to negotiate that, but I’m very optimistic about ESPN and Major League Baseball’s future.” Despite the announced split, conversations between ESPN and MLB have persisted, and indications suggest they will carry on. Nonetheless, MLB faces no shortage of potential interested suitors.
The sense of inevitability regarding the ESPN-MLB split is heightened by the network’s evolving coverage. Major League Baseball seldom makes headlines on shows like First Take, and when it does, it’s often for the wrong reasons. Even so, Ravech maintains that ESPN remains unparalleled in its baseball coverage. “Who else provides any more coverage of baseball—except for MLB Network—than ESPN does?” he challenged. “I’m just optimistic because of the platform that ESPN is and will be with ‘Flagship.’ If you’re a sports fan, you’re going to want baseball included in that mix.”
