Through the first two months of the season, viewership has inched up for Major League Baseball on ESPN.
ESPN and ESPN2 averaged a 0.8 U.S. rating and over 1.1 million viewers for Major League Baseball coverage through June 2, up a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from the comparable period last year (0.7, 1.1M).
Keep in mind several ESPN MLB telecasts are subject to blackouts in the local markets.
The exclusive “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts have averaged a 1.3 and 1.9 million viewers, up 8% and 4%, respectively, from a 1.2 and 1.8 million last year.
The most recent “SNB” telecast — Sunday’s rain-shortened match-up between the Yankees and Red Sox — actually hit a season-high on ESPN. The 5 1/2 inning game earned 2.3 million viewers, up 85% from Cardinals/Mets on ESPN2 last year (1.3M), and narrowly ahead of the previous season-high set by Dodgers/Giants on May 5 (2.34M to 2.30M).
Viewership For “Sunday Night Baseball” This Season
(Season avg. from ESPN, Sunday’s numbers from The Futon Critic)
