MLB Opening Day 2025 kicked off with excitement. Twenty-eight out of thirty teams played. Also, the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Rays were set for the next day. Fans looked forward to new beginnings and thrilling games. This is as the new baseball season started. Continue reading to learn more about MLB Opening Day and ESPN Coverage Controversy.
The First Games of the Season
The New York Yankees played the Milwaukee Brewers first. Moreover, the game was broadcast on ESPN. The Yankees’ new closer, Devin Williams, secured the win by getting a save. After this, nine games began around 4 p.m. ET. Some games went into extra innings. This created a tense atmosphere.
The Los Angeles Dodgers raised their World Series banner. This was before they faced the Detroit Tigers. Also, the Dodgers won their game 5-4. Two late-night games took place on the West Coast. This includes the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Chicago Cubs.
Also read: Arizona Diamondbacks Prepare for 2025 MLB Season With High Expectations
Highlights and Key Takeaways
Opening Day did not disappoint. There were many exciting moments across the games. Also, the extra-inning games and close finishes kept fans on the edge of their seats. Thus, MLB fans shared highlights and takeaways from each matchup. This celebrated the start of a new season.
ESPN’s Coverage Issues
There was controversy surrounding ESPN’s coverage of MLB. This was despite the excitement on the field. Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed his dissatisfaction with how ESPN handled MLB broadcasts.
Earlier in the year, the MLB and ESPN ended their broadcasting deal for the 2026-2028 seasons. The 2025 season would be the last one covered by ESPN. This is in the foreseeable future. Reports revealed that ESPN wanted to cut their payment to MLB. This is less than $550 million per year.
Due to these financial disagreements, both sides could not come to a new agreement. This was before the March 1 deadline. Manfred called out ESPN for their “minimal” coverage. Also, he stated that after nearly four decades of partnership, their lack of attention was unacceptable.
Responses from Rob Manfred
Manfred also spoke to Chris “Mad Dog” Russo. This was on his radio show. Also, he explained how he felt disappointed with ESPN’s focus on the other sports instead of baseball. Manfred believed that MLB deserved more attention.
He emphasized that the network devoted time to the NBA and NFL. However, it did not give baseball the same respect. Also, he felt that this lack of coverage hurt the sport. It made it harder to generate excitement among fans.
Russo is a well-known sports commentator. He agreed and pointed out that ESPN only aired one segment on baseball. This was during Opening Day. This situation showed the growing disconnection between baseball and the network.
ESPN’s Opening Day Coverage
ESPN’s schedule for Opening Day raised eyebrows. The channel showed only two games. This did not seem sufficient for a day dedicated to celebrating baseball. The first game included the Brewers and Yankees at 3 p.m. This was followed by the Tigers and Dodgers at 7 p.m. Several fans questioned why ESPN did not schedule more games. This was especially true given the excitement on Opening Day. Critics noted that more games had been broadcast in past years. Thus, this makes this year’s limited coverage even more frustrating.
Criticism of ESPN’s Priorities
Critics pointed out that ESPN did not just cut back on games. They prioritized other sports content over MLB. On ESPN2, the network scheduled NBA coverage and NFL highlights instead of airing any baseball games. Fans were disappointed to see that the channel focused on topics unrelated to baseball. This was when there were plenty of games happening. Many believed this showed a lack of respect towards America’s national pastime.
