MLB Network is making some changes headed into the 2025 season.
The nightly pregame show, MLB Tonight, is expanding by an hour and now starting at 5 p.m. ET, the network confirmed to Front Office Sports. The program will also have a new title, MLB Tonight: National Pregame Show, and regularly feature host Greg Amsinger with analysts Dan Plesac and Harold Reynolds who were previously on-air later at night.
One reason for the shift: MLB Network has leaned in to more live coverage of West Coast games, particularly centered on Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. Hosts Adnan Virk and Matt Vasgersian will continue to host whiparound coverage plus news and highlights in the evening.
With the expansion of the pregame show, Intentional Talk will move back an hour, to 4 p.m. The show Off Base will transition from being daily to weekly. The new lineup debuts March 26, on the eve of the regular season.
MLB Network, which as of last year is available direct-to-consumer, recently announced it is migrating its production facility to Elmwood Park, N.J., in 2028.
Nationally, MLB live rights are expected to be in a state of flux for the next few years. ESPN opted out of its package that includes Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and the wild-card playoff round, meaning those rights are up for grabs after this season. The rest of MLB’s national rights, including Fox’s World Series package, are up in 2028.