ESPN’s coverage of Major League Baseball games will conclude at the end of the 2025 season, it was announced on Thursday.

There was a March 1 deadline for MLB and ESPN to opt out of the final three years of their contract. The sides agreed to a seven-year deal in 2021 that averaged $550 million per season.

“We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with Major League Baseball and proud of how ESPN’s coverage super-serves fans,” the network said in a statement. “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.

“As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”

ESPN has carried MLB games since 1990 but cut back its coverage in the current contract to 30 regular-season games — mostly on Sunday night — and the wild-card postseason series. ESPN also had the Home Run Derby and 10 spring training games.

The previous eight-year deal, which ran from 2014 through 2021, saw ESPN broadcast up to 90 regular-season games. ESPN also stopped airing the daily “Baseball Tonight” highlights and news show in 2017.

ESPN is still open to pursuing a deal with a reduced rights fee after seeing deals struck with Apple and Roku. Apple pays $85 million per season for a Friday night package it has aired since 2022, while Roku’s deal for Sunday afternoon games is worth $10 million per year.

“Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance on their platform,” MLB said in a statement. “Given that MLB provides strong viewership, valuable demographics, and the exclusive right to cover unique events like the Home Run Derby, ESPN’s demand to reduce rights fees is simply unacceptable. As a result, we have mutually agreed to terminate our agreement.”

MLB said in its statement that there is “significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming services who would like to obtain rights to MLB games.”

“We will be exploring those opportunities for a new agreement which would start in the 2026 season following the conclusion of ESPN’s agreement at the end of this year,” the league said.

MLB receives an average of $729 million from Fox and $470 million from Turner Sports per year under deals that expire after the 2028 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs pitcher Cody Poteet became the first player to challenge a ball/strike call in a major league game when he asked for a review of a fastball to Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy in the bottom of the first inning of their opening spring game Thursday.

Poteet, acquired from the New York Yankees for Cody Bellinger over the winter, thought the low fastball caught the corner of the plate, but plate umpire Tony Randazzo disagreed, calling it a ball. Per MLB rules this spring, Poteet tapped his head indicating he wanted a review, and quickly the pitch and its location were shown on the scoreboard. The call was reversed, and instead of a 1-1 count, Muncy fell to 0-2 before striking out.

“I was pretty positive it was strike and the umpire balled it,” Muncy said afterward. “I knew it was going to get overturned, and I went, ‘Oh, man, I’m going to be the first one.’ Great.”

Major League Baseball is testing its automatic ball and strike system for the first time during spring training after several years of using it in the minor leagues.

Instead of robots calling every pitch, teams can challenge two calls per game with the ability to retain a successful challenge. Only the pitcher, catcher or hitter can challenge a call and must do so without help from the dugout. Tapping their head is the indication they want to challenge a call.

Poteet spent time in the minors last season and so was familiar with the system.

“I thought it caught a good part of the plate,” he said. “So thought it was worth using one of them. It’s nice to know that it was a strike and not to be the first one to get it wrong, I guess.”

Later in the game, Cubs catcher Pablo Aliendo challenged a ball call, but it was upheld. That ratio — one overturned and one upheld — matches the split in the minors, where 50% of calls were overturned. Games there averaged about four challenges per contest, though Thursday’s had only two.

Muncy was asked whether the system could work at the major league level during the regular season and postseason. The league has already stated it won’t implement it past spring training this year but could as soon as 2026.

“I think the idea is very interesting of it to me,” Muncy said. “I feel like you have to be a hundred percent certain to challenge.”

Five stadiums in Arizona and eight in Florida will have the technology for the challenge system, and 60% of Cactus and Grapefruit league games will feature it. MLB will poll players and coaches after the spring in order to help determine if or when the system will become permanent in the big leagues.

“I feel like every strike matters … so I thought it was a good time to use it today,” Poteet said.

The Cubs beat the Dodgers 12-4. The teams have a rematch Friday before playing each other again to open the season in Japan in March.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller was hit in the head by a line drive on Thursday during the team’s spring training against the Chicago Cubs, but was able to walk off the field.

The scary moment happened in the third inning when Michael Busch ripped a 105.5 mph liner that appeared to hit Miller on the right temple, where the hat meets the head. Miller immediately fell to the ground while holding his head, but quickly got up on his knees as medical staff rushed onto the field.

He exited the game, and was able to walk off the field on his own. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the ball “squared him up pretty good.”

“He’s going to be under concussion protocol,” Roberts said. “We’ll keep an eye on him tonight. I don’t know what that means as far as going forward. Certainly, it’s somewhat of a setback. We’ve got to make sure he feels OK going forward.”

The 25-year-old right-hander entered spring training in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation, though its unclear how long he’ll be out after Thursday’s injury. He had a 2-4 record with an 8.52 ERA over 13 starts last season.