Major League Baseball on ABC, sometimes ESPN Major League Baseball on ABC is the de facto branding of Major League Baseball (MLB) games on ABC produced by ESPN. ABC has aired MLB games in various formats: c. 1953-1965 (ABC Game of the Week), 1976–1989 (Monday Night Baseball, Thursday Night Baseball, and Sunday Afternoon Baseball), and 1994–1995 (Baseball Night in America). After not televising MLB since Game 5 of the 1995 World Series (October 26), and after the ABC Sports division merged with ESPN in 2006, ABC has aired selected games as part of its sister cable network's contract since 2020. History From 1953 until 1955, and again in 1960, ABC aired Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts, usually on Saturdays. In 1959, ABC broadcast the best-of-three playoff series (to decide the National League pennant) between the Milwaukee Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1965, ABC returned to Game of the Week broadcasting with 28 regional Saturday and Holiday games. In 1976, ABC began a new four year rights deal with the MLB that included 16 new Monday night games, which increased to 18 in the next three years of the deal, as well as half the postseason (both League Championship Series in even numbered years and World Series in odd numbered years) and the All-Star Game in even numbered years. This contract was modified for the 1980, Monday Night Baseball telecasts were reduced to just five, with the rest of the games moved to sunday afternoons. In 1984, ABC agreed to a new six year rights deal with the MLB. The playoff and All-Star Game television structure remained the same, while ABC increased their regular season games to 20. In 1989, the final season of ABC's deal before CBS took over, ABC moved their games to Thursday nights. In 1994, ABC returned to MLB coverage with another six year rights deal. Under the deal, as part of The Baseball Network, ABC would air six weeks of regular season games on Saturday and Monday nights. In even numbered years, ABC had the rights to the World Series and Division Series, while in odd numbered years ABC had the rights to the All-Star Game and League Championship Series. However, these plans changed because of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. Because of the strike, which began on August 12, a significant amount of games were cancelled, including the 1994 World