6 Reasons MLS Should Court ESPN (Again) After Its Divorce From MLB

For those who follow both Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, Thursday’s news that MLB and ESPN were ending their relationship may have felt like deja vu.

Both sides elected to use the opt out clause of a current 7-year, $3.85 billion pact to cut it short by three years at the end of the 2025 season. That will end a 35-year partnership between the two entities in a manner that may remind some of how the MLS’ 27-year run with ESPN came to an end.

Those in MLB’s camp left frustrated that ESPN hadn’t done enough to promote the product outside of its actual game broadcasts, a frustration often echoed in MLS circles. Meanwhile, ESPN likely believed the value of deal was lowe than the fee it was paying MLB, in a way that the network was also reportedly less interested in MLS rights if they didn’t include U.S. men’s and women’s national team games or out-of-market rights to local broadcasts via its ESPN+ service.

But as MLS begins its third season of a 10-year, worldwide streaming partnership with Apple TV, MLB’s ESPN exit may represent an opportunity for MLS to get reacquainted with the network an arrangment similar to what the league currently holds with Fox Sports. (While Apple TV currently has worldwide streaming rights to every MLS regular season, Leagues Cup and MLS Cup Playoff game, Fox and FS1 simulcast 34 league games a season plus select cup games.)

In fact, MLS tried but failed keep ESPN on board as a simulcast partner as well back in 2022. But conditions are different now.

Here are 6 reasons both sides might benefit from renewing their relationship.

1) ESPN Will Need Content At A Time When MLS Plays

While ESPN still has its agreements with the NFL, NBA and NHL, there will suddenly be a large chunk of the summer during which it shows no major men’s professional sports. And until MLS switches to a fall-to-spring schedule – if that happens at all – that could line up well with the meat of the MLS regular season and/or the Leagues Cup tournament contested between MLS and Liga MX clubs.

2) MLS Could Offload Some Production Expenses

One of the terms of the league’s agreement with Apple TV was that MLS would foot broadcast production costs. That appears to have taken a financial toll, with on-air talent reportedly asked to take paycuts after Year 1, and some broadcasters to be relegated to calling games from a remote studio in Year 3. Perhaps a deal with ESPN could include some assitance in broadcast production that might be more cost efficient for a company with ESPN’s resources than for a league producing only its own product.

3) The Timing Is Right

Not only is ESPN suddenly looking at a lack of live content over much of its spring and summer schedule, but with the arrival of Lionel Messi and the approach of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico, MLS may be a more appealing property to ESPN than it was during those previous 2022 negotiations.

4) Fox’s Deal Only Runs Through 2026

And if ESPN wanted a wider inventory of matches as the league’s only traditional cable partner, it need only wait until the end of the 2026 season when Fox’s four-year deal expires. Or they could both be retianed. Fox and ESPN were simultaneous MLS partners (along with Univision) during the previous 2015-2022 rights agreement.

5) Fending Off USL’s Division One Project

With United Soccer Leagues announcing its intentions to launch a rival first-tier men’s league in 2027 or 2028 earlier this month, there may be an added benefit for MLS to get back on cable’s most popular sports network and make its case as the top men’s domestic club competition. Remember, ESPN viewers already have access to USL broadcasts as part of a 2024 agreement to show 35 second- and third-tier matches between ESPN and CBS Sports Network.

6) ESPN Is Already Sorta Involved (In Canada)

While ESPN hasn’t shown any MLS matches on its American airwaves since the 2022 season, the network is a minority stakeholder in TSN and RDS in Canada. Those networks each show 41 regular season matches annually with a focus on Canada’s three MLS teams, as well as a selection of Leagues Cup and MLS Cup Playoff matches.