For three decades and more, ESPN and Major League Baseball were friends. Sunday Night Baseball was a fix like no other, and also the Home Run Derby. Not to forget the countless highlight reels that kept the fans hooked year-round. But the era has come to an end, and both parties have ‘mutually’ opted out of their $550 million broadcast deal. But did things really go down as cordially as they are making it out to be?This change is huge for the sport, as it affects how viewers essentially consume the sport. Now this decision has sparked conversations, and David Samson is one to not back down from speaking his mind. The former president of the Miami Marlins weighed in, claiming that ESPN has gone ahead with a step that they would come to regret sooner or later.The yesteryear MLB executive-turned-sportscaster suggested that ESPN has taken baseball for granted. “Far too long”, were David Samson’s choice of words. Now, to ESPN’s credit, they did explain that they were opting out of renewing the deal due to financial issues, but Samson was the last to buy it; instead, he just painted the picture of a network that simply underestimates the game.“Baseball to ESPN was like the person you take for granted,” Samson mentioned in his podcast. He also added, “And then you realize when they leave—wow, I needed that person way more than I thought.” And it makes sense. ESPN did rely heavily on baseball to fill in its summer programming, providing consistent live content when key sports like the NFL or NBA were in their offseason. But now, with baseball out of the picture, what will they replace the free airtime with? Samson had quite the suggestion…Samson, visibly optimistic towards baseball’s prospects over ESPN’s, sarcastically provided an alternative idea. He said: “You’re starting a new flagship initiative and you’ve poured what is hundreds of millions probably more into the start of it and then you realize wait a minute we’ve got nothing to show. We literally are going to show curling! That’s a little shout out to my friends up north in Canada. You remember when I was with the Expos and … [the broadcasters] said they’d rather show curling than baseball?”However, ESPN’s Bob Iger and Jimmy Pitaro have insisted that this decision comes as part of a broader financial strategy and that it was indeed mutual. But according to CNN Sports Kyle Feldscher, it wasn’t so mutual. “A source with knowledge of ESPN’s approach to the negotiations disputed the idea that the split was mutual. The source told CNN that ESPN opted out of the contract and was surprised by commissioner Rob Manfred’s note to MLB owners that the league and network had mutually agreed to end their relationship,” reported Feldscher.Samson believes that ESPN is about to experience what the real cost of cutting baseball out is, when the subscription numbers go down and their viewership takes a hefty hit. And while he’s already forecasted ESPN’s bleak days, what holds for MLB next?What’s MLB’s next big move after ESPN break-up?Now, while ESPN may just downplay their loss, MLB can – and needs to – move on. According to Samson, this deal wouldn’t have broken down in case the league didn’t have something bigger and better in store. “They’re looking for a partner. They’re deciding if they can do better than ESPN. And if so, they’re going to be very interested in this opt-out.”Now everyone knows about the infamous Bob Manfred letter. So he mentioned to the owners about the ESPN deal falling off and that a better deal is apparently in the works. The league has been looking for a new partner who values baseball more. Because mind you, MLB mentioned that the kind of exposure they got from ESPN was not just cutting it for them. But the question is, who could step in after ESPN?There are several options, in fact, traditional and modern. They can go for tech giants like Amazon Prime, Apple, or even YouTube. Offering a direct-to-consumer approach might even pass over the traditional TV deals. Not to mention, legacy media houses like NBC and FOX could also want to upgrade their baseball coverage. If MLB lands up with a blockbuster deal – which Samson believes they will – ESPN will rue the day they let go of a core sport and opened up an airtime void. Because let’s be honest—baseball is still in hot demand.The post Failed $550 Million MLB Deal Could Lead to ESPN’s Downfall, Claims Sportscaster appeared first on EssentiallySports.