As Barrett Media reported yesterday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stated in a memo acquired by The Athletic that the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage” on ESPN platforms beyond live game broadcasts and referred to the network as a “shrinking platform.”
Manfred doubled down on Mad Dog Unleashed, where he elaborated further. Speaking with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Manfred cited the end of Baseball Tonight as the beginning of MLB’s dissatisfaction with ESPN.
“I’ll say this publicly because I said it to them,” Manfred explained. “They stepped up for the NBA, they stepped up for football, stepped up for this one, and to come back to us and say, ‘We want to cut you.’”
Wow. I have to assume this is mostly posturing. Rob Manfred cannot possibly have his head in the sand this much—can he?
First of all, I don’t think there is a network out there that has done as much as ESPN to stay on top of trends in the industry while making its content accessible in every way possible. So, the “shrinking platform” comment—while technically true, as ESPN is in fewer households than it used to be—doesn’t tell the full story. ESPN remains the king of sports media by a wide margin.
The implication here is that ESPN simply ended Baseball Tonight because it wanted to cover less baseball and was a bad partner. The truth is likely closer to the data: fewer people were watching because, well, fewer people are interested in baseball. That’s a well-documented trend.
To MLB’s credit, the pitch clock has helped—much more than I thought it would. Speeding up the game was an important step and a great idea. But let’s be honest: baseball has been slow to adapt. Its media situation is a mess, and sites like ours have been covering the issue for a long time. Absolutely nobody who follows this industry was surprised by ESPN’s decision.
ESPN’s choices are more of a response to what has happened to baseball than some grand betrayal. Instead of whining about how unfair it is, MLB should examine the real reasons behind the move.
And as for the comparison to the NBA—that’s a joke in itself. The NBA continues to grow its global audience, and its young, social-media-savvy fan base aligns well with ESPN’s long-term digital strategies. Manfred himself acknowledged this, saying, “They [ESPN] have been clear that the NBA is a priority for them.” Yes, they have been—and for good reason.
What has baseball done to attract a similar young, global fan base outside of implementing a few rule changes? If I were Manfred, I’d be focusing on how the game can address these areas rather than picking fights with a network that, despite cutting regular-season broadcasts, can still be a valuable partner. If MLB continues to lose national exposure, how will it attract new fans?
Instead of brushing off what’s happening, Manfred should acknowledge the warning signs and take real steps to rethink MLB’s media strategy. That means making games more accessible, improving the in-game experience for younger audiences, and ensuring that baseball remains part of the larger cultural conversation.
Manfred can spin this however he wants, but the truth is clear: ESPN just sent a message, and baseball is worse off because of it.
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The Best/Worst Thing I’ve Heard/Watched/Read Recently
I know people get tired of St. Louis fans talking about how great their baseball culture is, but hey—we are who we are. Lately, though, there hasn’t been much to brag about, and most predictions suggest this season won’t be much different. The GM is in the final year of his contract after wearing out his welcome, and most of the star players baseball fans associate with the Cardinals have long moved on.
That said, nobody does Opening Day like St. Louis, and just about every player who has experienced it at Busch Stadium has said the same. On the broadcasting side, between KMOX on the radio and whatever the regional television network is called these days, they crush it. The pageantry—the Budweiser Clydesdales, the Cardinals Hall of Famers in their red jackets, and the sea of red in the stands—is unmatched. No matter what the projections say, Opening Day in St. Louis is always a day of optimism and excitement. The radio and TV crews capture it beautifully, and in the case of this season, it was rain delay and all.
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In Case You Missed It
Earlier this week, Derek Futterman published a piece he had been excited about for a long time—an interview with Jim Rome. And let me tell you, the piece was EXCELLENT!
It’s been really cool to see Rome’s resurgence and how he has adapted to the ever-changing media landscape. I often use what he’s doing on X as an example. He’s delivering content directly to the audience rather than making them come to him, and he’s making it accessible to absolutely everyone. I have to believe that strategy is paying off for him in a big way.
I especially liked what Jim told Derek here:
“If I take care of the show, the show will take care of me and the people who work for me, but it’s not about me. I check that bleeping ego at the door every single day and make sure the people who matter most are happy with me and the show.”
You can read the full feature by clicking here.
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Dave Greene is the Chief Media Officer for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting. You can also reach him by email at Dave@BarrettMedia.com.
