For all the hype surrounding Stephen Strasburg, he has yet to command a good national TV audience.
FOX drew a 1.5 final rating for regional MLB action featuring Mets/Nationals on Saturday, the sixth start for Nationals P Stephen Strasburg. The 1.5 rating marks a 7% increase from coverage featuring Dodgers/Padres last year (1.4).
The 1.5 rating is tied as the fourth-lowest of the season for MLB on FOX. Additionally, this is the ninth of 13 MLB telecasts on FOX to draw less than a 2.0 rating this season.
So far, the six nationally televised games involving Strasburg have drawn ratings of 0.4 (vs. PIT, MLB Network), 0.5 (at CLE, TBS), 0.1 (vs. CHW, MLB Network), 0.1 (vs. KC, MLB Network), 0.7 (at ATL, ESPN2) and now 1.5 (vs. NYM, FOX).
Keep in mind that Strasburg has yet to play in a truly national telecast. Saturday’s matchup on FOX aired regionally, with over 20% of the country receiving other games. Meanwhile, the the national telecasts of his previous five starts were blacked out in local markets.
So far this season, FOX is averaging a 1.8 rating for Major League Baseball coverage, even with last year. FOX averaged a record low rating for Major League Baseball last season.
