Red Sox/Yankees might still be the biggest draw in baseball, but not by much.
FOX drew a 2.1 final rating and 3.250 million viewers for regional MLB action featuring Red Sox/Yankees on Saturday, down 22% in ratings and 18% in viewership from coverage featuring the same matchup last year (2.7, 3.962 mil), and even in ratings and up 7% in viewership from coverage featuring Yankees/Angels in ’08 (2.1, 3.055 mil).
Despite being arguably the most famous rivalry in sports, Red Sox/Yankees drew a lower rating and fewer viewers on FOX than coverage featuring Braves/Reds one week earlier (2.2, 3.315 mil).
That said, Red Sox/Yankees still draws the largest regular season audiences in baseball. The highest rated, most-viewed afternoon game of the season on FOX featured the rivals, as did the top Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN.
However, the games are far less of a draw than in recent years. The 2.1 for Saturday’s telecast is tied as the lowest for a Red Sox/Yankees telecast on FOX since at least 2001* (ratings prior to 2002 were not available).
Of the past 28 MLB on FOX telecasts to feature Red Sox/Yankees (dating back to 2002), Saturday’s matchup was only the sixth to draw less than a 2.5 rating.
So far this season, FOX is averaging a 1.9 rating for MLB coverage, even with last year’s record-low pace.
* Excludes Red Sox/Yankees on September 16, 2006. Final ratings for that game were not available.
