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Morning Edition

February 21, 2025

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ESPN has carried MLB games for 35 years. That relationship appears on track to end, with commissioner Rob Manfred taking shots at ESPN’s coverage and audience in a memo to owners declaring the split. Here’s what we know.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

‘Shrinking Platform’: MLB, ESPN to Split After 35 Years [[link removed]]

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One of the most significant divorces in sports media is now becoming a reality as MLB and ESPN have “mutually agreed” to opt out of their rights deal three years early, marking a stunning degradation of a relationship dating to 1990.

The current seven-year rights pact, paying the league $550 million per year, was set to run through 2028, but will now expire after the upcoming season after the two sides were unable to come to terms on a revised relationship. The mutual opt-out had been a source of growing tension [[link removed]] for months.

ESPN had long objected to its fee, particularly in light of separate MLB rights deals with Apple and Roku that are worth $85 million and $10 million, respectively, per year. Recent talks between the two sides did not produce any sort of revised agreement, and the pact is now set to expire after the 2025 season. ESPN will still broadcast MLB events such as Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and the wild-card round of the playoffs this season, as planned.

“Given the strength of our product, we do not believe a reduction in fees is warranted,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred wrote in a Thursday memo to team owners, obtained by Front Office Sports and first reported by The Athletic [[link removed]].

Manfred continued in his memo with several specific objections regarding ESPN:

He took aim at the network’s linear distribution, which has fallen to 53.6 million homes, roughly half the level of 2011. To that end, he said, “we do not think it’s beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform.” He said the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage” MLB receives on ESPN outside of live game coverage. Even casual viewers would certainly be able to notice a difference compared to how the network approaches the NFL and NBA. He called the comparisons to the Apple and Roku deals “inapt,” citing the greater amount of exclusive content on ESPN, both in quality and quantity, as well as record ratings for last year’s wild-card playoffs [[link removed]]. Manfred added that ESPN declined to supplement its rights with games ultimately sold to Apple and Roku.

“We have rejected ESPN’s aggressive effort to reduce rights fees for several reasons,” Manfred wrote.

What Happens Now

Backed in large part by rising optimism elsewhere in the sport [[link removed]], Manfred now intends to take these rights back to the market, and he says there is already significant interest.

“We have been in conversations with several interested parties around these rights over the past several months, and expect to have at least two potential options for consideration over the next few weeks,” Manfred said.

A reunion with ESPN remains technically possible, but would require a different approach from the Disney-owned network. In a statement, ESPN said it intends to keep the door open with MLB.

“In making this decision, we applied the same discipline and fiscal responsibility that has built ESPN’s industry-leading live events portfolio as we continue to grow our audience across linear, digital, and social platforms,” ESPN said. “As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”

Texans Join NFL’s Stadium Push: Weighing Renovation vs. New Build [[link removed]]

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Add the Texans to a fast-growing list of NFL teams looking to make major moves with their stadiums.

The two-time reigning AFC South division champions said while a renovation of the 23-year-old, publicly owned NRG Stadium remains the team’s “focus,” they are also weighing whether to build a new facility.

“As we’ve said before, we are committed to exploring all potential solutions to ensure long-term success,” the Texans said in a statement.

The Texans are one of several NFL teams that opened new venues around the turn of the century and now have approached an important juncture on what to do over the next generation. The collection also includes the Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles [[link removed]], Broncos [[link removed]], Commanders [[link removed]], Browns [[link removed]], and Bengals. Some others with stadiums of a similar age have already completed large-scale renovations or started them, such as the Patriots and Ravens, while the Steelers are making a series of smaller upgrades at Acrisure Stadium.

The Houston contemplation is also happening as NRG Stadium has already held several major events such as the Final Four and Super Bowl that many other NFL teams covet for their facilities, and it will also be a site next year for the FIFA World Cup. The Texans’ current lease at NRG Stadium expires in 2032.

Waves of Change

The accelerating NFL stadium development push ties into several larger trends. Among them:

Newer facilities such as SoFi Stadium in California and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas have displayed a far greater degree of technological capabilities, as well as new types of seating sections, and made some of the older stadiums look outdated by comparison. That dynamic will only accelerate with new venues under construction in Buffalo and Tennessee. Lengthening time periods to finalize stadium financing plans, particularly if public money is involved. The Commanders, for example, have been pursuing a new facility for more than five years, spanning two team owners. That, in turn, has made it generally unfeasible for teams to wait 30 years before beginning a process toward a new or renovated facility. The newly opened ability for NFL team owners to tap into private equity [[link removed]], with stadium upgrades among the potential uses of those funds.

In Houston, the situation will be closely watched on multiple fronts. The franchise last month appointed Mike Tomon as team president, and in doing so, the team specifically cited the former Legends executive’s “extensive background in stadium development.” The Texas locale, meanwhile, is the No. 6 U.S. media market and continuing to grow, and landing more top-tier sports events befitting that ranking will almost certainly require a large-scale endeavor.

Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle reported [[link removed]] there is still $1 billion in debt on bonds used to build NRG Stadium as well as the nearby Daikin Park and Toyota Center, and those bonds are not targeted to be repaid until 2056—a situation that could complicate funding of a new venue.

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NBA Dealt Major Blow With Wemby’s Season-Ending Blood Clot [[link removed]]

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Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to deep vein thrombosis, a form of a blood clot, in his right shoulder, the Spurs announced Thursday.

The team said the blood clot was discovered when the 21-year-old returned to San Antonio after participating in his first NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. The team told ESPN and The Athletic that they expect Wembanyama will be ready for the 2025–2026 season.

Christopher Yi, a board-certified vascular surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center spoke to Front Office Sports and said the Spurs’ confidence in the return of Wembanyama likely means treatment and recovery will be similar to that of Brandon Ingram in March 2019, who was also 21 years old at the time.

Ingram was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm in March 2019 when he was also 21 years old. He would miss the final 19 games of the season but returned the following year when he was named an All-Star. He has battled other unrelated injuries throughout his career, but signed a three-year, $120 million extension with the Raptors earlier this month.

On top of the typical blood-thinning medication, Dr. Yi said there is a procedure that may be done on Wembanyama that could keep him out. World No. 1 women’s golfer Nelly Korda also had a blood clot in 2022 that kept her out for several months. She reclaimed the top ranking in the sport a year later.

“Brandon Ingram is doing extremely well. Nelly Korda is back to being No. 1 in the world. … That’s what I expect to happen to Victor. He’ll come back to form,” Dr. Yi said.

Dr. Yi told FOS that Wembanyama’s situation is different from that of Chris Bosh, who was found to have blood clots in his legs and lungs in 2015. He briefly returned to action the next season, but in September 2016, Bosh, then 32 years old, and the Heat announced he would no longer play.

“That’s a completely different scenario. A different beast. … There are different causes and different ways to treat it,” Dr. Yi said about Bosh’s injury.

The NBA’s Future Face

Wembanyama’s injury comes at an inopportune time for the league, which is facing a 5% year-over-year viewership decline [[link removed].] and in search of new names to take the mantle from aging stars like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant.

Wembanyama was fourth among Western Conference front-court players in All-Star fan voting [[link removed]] with 2.88 million, not too far from James and Durant, and 500,000 more than Stephen Curry. Wembanyama is also fifth in jersey sales this season.

Speaking at a press conference in France last month before the NBA Paris Games, NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised Wembanyama, saying he has “exceeded my expectations.”

But Silver also said he’s been “cautious” about his perception of top picks and their progression in the NBA in part because some have not met the expectations through “no fault of their own” due to factors such as injuries.

ONE BIG FIG Betting Boom

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The total handle for legal sports betting last year in the U.S., according to the American Gaming Association [[link removed]]. The figure is up by 23.6% from 2023 and joins a similar 25.4% jump in sports betting revenue to $13.71 billion. The results are a broader confirmation of the market expansion already reported by the two titans of U.S. sports betting, FanDuel and DraftKings. New York remains the No. 1 individual state for sports betting, but Illinois rose to No. 2, and Massachusetts saw its sports betting revenue rise nearly 40% last year and is now the No. 7 state.

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Conversation Starters Shohei Ohtani said Rintaro Sasaki had a better swing than him. Check out [[link removed]?] the Stanford star’s reaction to his hero’s comment. Mets infielder Brett Baty gave up his No. 22 uniform for Juan Soto, who joined the team this offseason. Soto thanked him by buying him a new car. Watch the surprise here [[link removed]]. Churchill Downs unveiled nearly $900 million in upgrades to the Kentucky Derby racetrack, including a permanent infield conservatory and a five-story Skye expansion. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks MLS Begins Season With More Messi Mania, Apple Streaming Changes [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Inter Miami is once again the betting favorite to win the MLS Cup. Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Dropped His Agent [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The Thunder star dropped the Wasserman Group as his representation. In Questionable Move, Concacaf Referee Asks Messi for Jersey [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Messi gifted his jersey to referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava. Trump Meets With PGA Tour, PIF Again to Iron Out LIV Golf Deal [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Antitrust concerns have surrounded a theoretical PGA Tour–LIV Golf merger. Question of the Day

Do you plan on attending any MLS games this season?

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Thursday’s result: Compared to the previous NBA season, 9% of respondents said their viewership has increased this season. 27% said it decreased. 19% said it’s about the same. And 50% said they don’t watch the NBA.

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