ESPN will showcase both the AL and NL pennant winners from 2024 on Opening Day next season.
The network revealed on Wednesday that the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will anchor doubleheader coverage of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day in 2025. An afternoon tilt between the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers will kick off the league’s national television schedule at 3 p.m. ET. Then at 7 p.m. ET, the Dodgers will take on the Detroit Tigers.
Mark your calendars #MLB fans!
ESPN’s ’25 Opening Day doubleheader features World Series Champ @Dodgers & AL Champ @Yankees
⚾️ 3p ET | Brewers vs Yankees
⚾️ 6p ET | Baseball Tonight
⚾️️7p ET | Tigers vs Dodgers – ft. World Series banner raisingMore: https://t.co/CkYU1df5NO pic.twitter.com/ufH6WXp2uR
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) November 13, 2024
Both games will air on ESPN, with Baseball Tonight taking studio duties in between contests. The Dodgers game will include a 2024 World Series banner raising.
After a Dodgers-Yankees World Series that set a seven year viewership record, MLB is going right back to the well. Drafting off the momentum of baseball’s two biggest stars, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, ESPN can expect to draw some substantial Opening Day viewership.
The upcoming season could prove pivotal when it comes to MLB’s media rights agreement with ESPN. The network has the option to opt-out of its contract with the league following the 2025 season. ESPN has already slimmed down its baseball offerings in recent years, having cut its Wednesday Night Baseball package following the 2021 season. The two sides are being proactive about the situation, reportedly planning to begin negotiations prior to the opt-out.
Nevertheless, a strong 2025 season could go a long way towards the two sides reaching a deal.
[ESPN PR]
