For the first time since June 23, baseball on FOX saw an increase in ratings from last year. Regional coverage, led by a game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, drew a 3.0 overnight on Saturday, up 11% from a 2.7 overnight last year.
The 3.0 rating comes after two weeks where MLB on FOX drew final ratings of 1.4 and 1.2, respectively, the latter likely the lowest rating for a baseball telecast on network television in history.
The Yankees/Red Sox game defeated two college football games in the same timeslot on Saturday. The debut of SEC Football on CBS, featuring Tennessee versus Florida, drew a 2.9 overnight, while the game between Michigan and Notre Dame on ABC drew a 2.7. The Yankees-Red Sox game was the second highest rated sporting event on broadcast over the weekend, excluding NFL telecasts. Only Saturday Night Football on ABC, featuring USC versus Nebraska, drew a higher rating (5.0).
So far this season, four Yankees/Red Sox games on FOX have averaged a 3.4 overnight rating.
