I grew up, like many in my generation, playing and following baseball. Born in the early 1980s, it felt like a rite of passage to pick a team based on your father’s preference. It was a bonding moment between parent and child—common then, but rare today. Sunday, ESPN said goodbye to Sunday Night Baseball. The program aired for 35 years on the network, which seemed more of a destination during my childhood but less of an appointment today.
When news came out about the “agreement in principle” with Major League Baseball and NBC Sports moving the legacy broadcast to their network beginning next year, I was curious how ESPN would frame the news.
Would ESPN honor the show’s legacy? Would they promote the final broadcast as such? The network did neither, leaving this fan puzzled. TNT Sports celebrated the end of Inside the NBA. NBC Sports marked its NHL exit. Why didn’t ESPN give Sunday Night Baseball its due?
It would help to remind you of the background of why we’re here.
How We Got Here
Earlier this year, MLB and ESPN engaged in a very messy back-and-forth separation. It was labeled a “mutual opt-out” of their current agreement, but emotions ran high between the two parties—especially from MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred.
If you recall, Manfred was direct about his disappointment in his league’s network partner. In a memo to team owners obtained by The Athletic, Manfred said it wasn’t right for the league to accept a smaller deal from ESPN.
He called the network “a shrinking platform,” despite rising television ratings in 2024 for Sunday Night Baseball games. The commissioner also stated he was not “pleased” with ESPN’s “minimal coverage” of Major League Baseball over the past several years outside of live game broadcasts.
This season, Sunday Night Baseball viewership (as of early August) was on pace to be the highest since 2017. A feather in the cap for MLB, as their product drove audiences to an outlet the league’s commissioner considers shrinking.
ESPN Had To Adjust
Has ESPN changed its approach to covering Major League Baseball? Considering they became partners for the first time in 1990, of course there has been change. Since then, The network now carries massive rights deals with the NFL, NBA, and NHL. Monday Night Football alone demands year-round coverage, from the combine to the draft. The NBA continues to grow globally, while NHL games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ require steady promotion.
The network also has a massive rights agreement with the NHL. Games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ demand more focus and attention throughout the regular season and playoffs. ESPN is also very invested in the NBA, a league that continues to grow worldwide and has surpassed MLB in popularity.
So, no, I don’t fault ESPN for evolving. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket when you own the whole supermarket. How does ESPN plan for growth through traditional metrics like viewership and ratings while also balancing growth in the metrics that matter for the next generation? On a normal evening, how often do you see anything trending in MLB on social media compared with the NBA, NHL, or the NFL on Thursday, Sunday, or Monday nights?
Rob Manfred’s comments weren’t shocking at the time. He was simply defending his house. The most complicated rights agreements of the four major sports lie in his hands, and he’s just attempting to get the most squeeze for his product with all his partners.
A Swing and a Miss
With all that being considered, ESPN dropped the ball on the finale of a 35-year run with Sunday Night Baseball. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan were the voices that captured a generation. Dan Shulman and Bobby Valentine alike. Other names like Orel Hershiser, John Kruk, Curt Schilling, Aaron Boone, and Alex Rodriguez brought baseball to life for audiences across the country.
The current booth of Karl Ravech, David Cone, and Eduardo Pérez has carried the mantle of the legacy program since 2022. Sunday Night Baseball gave viewers the KayRod Cast, Jessica Mendoza, the K Zone, and games from army bases and Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It provided moments that showcased epic pitching duels, historic feats, and walk-off heroics.
Is there a hint of legalese in why ESPN decided not to celebrate a grand finale of Sunday Night Baseball? For sure. MLB hasn’t formally announced the new rights agreement yet with NBC Sports, which will move the Sunday Night Baseball property across the street. Why would ESPN spoil MLB’s announcement when the ink isn’t dry?
There could have at least been a nod, a wink, and a handshake. Possibly a guest appearance or two from names of yesteryear. How about reliving epic moments in Sunday Night Baseball history? Yet nothing of the sort happened, almost giving the feel that Manfred was right all along about his broadcast partner.
Maybe that was Manfred’s plan all along—knowing that ESPN wouldn’t make plans for a celebration of the 35-year run before baseball itself made the announcement.
Either way, Sunday Night Baseball as a franchise deserved better. Most talent in media don’t get the goodbye show, but ESPN had an opportunity to draw in audiences for a final send-off. Surely ESPN will have some MLB package arranged for the beginning of next season, but the finale of this year’s regular season was a strikeout.
You can’t hit the mark if you don’t swing the bat.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
