ESPN had been asking to lower the fees it pays to MLB for the next portion of its current contract. The deal would remain in place for 2025.

In the letter, Manfred cited ESPN's lack of baseball coverage in its programming outside of the games as one of the reasons why he agreed to terminate the deal that was set to run through the 2028 season. However, CNN Sports' Kyle Feldscher reported that the breakup perhaps wasn't completely mutual.

Amid a shifting landscape of regional sports networks, the sides agreed not to extend the deal before their self-imposed March 1 deadline.