The Red Sox/Yankees rivalry may still attract better-than-average numbers, but it is not the draw it has been in recent years.
Sunday’s Red Sox/Yankees game drew a 2.3 U.S. rating and 3.486 million viewers on ESPN, down 23% in ratings and 26% in viewership from the same matchup on the same night last year (3.0, 4.698 mil), but up 28% and 24%, respectively, from Cardinals/Cubs in ’08 (1.8, 2.805 mil).
Despite the decline, Red Sox/Yankees stands as ESPN’s highest rated, most-viewed Major League Baseball telecast of the season.
This was the third Sunday night matchup between the Red Sox and Yankees this season, with the games drawing ratings of 2.0*, 2.1 and now 2.3. To put that in perspective, the three Sunday night Yankees/Red Sox games last season each drew a 3.0 rating.
Not surprisingly, Sunday’s game was trounced head-to-head by the NFL Hall of Fame Game on NBC (6.8, 11.348 mil). Last year’s Red Sox/Yankees game was also outdrawn head-to-head by the Hall of Fame Game, though by a much smaller margin.
Final ratings and viewership for Saturday’s Red Sox/Yankees telecast on FOX were not immediately available.
* Yankees/Red Sox drew a 2.0 U.S. rating on ESPN2 Opening Night, but it should be pointed out that the ESPN2 telecast was blacked out in New York and Boston.
(ESPN)
