The Cubs helped Sunday Night Baseball to a third-straight ratings increase last weekend.
Cubs-Nationals scored a 0.8 and 1.31 million on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball last weekend, up a tick in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (Indians-Astros: 0.7, 1.14M), and flat and up 8% respectively from 2017 (Rangers-Tigers: 0.8, 1.21M).
The Cubs’ win was the third-straight Sunday Night Baseball game to post an increase in ratings and viewership, a marked turnaround after the series opened the season with five straight declines. Not coincidentally, the three increases have come in the Cubs’ first three appearances of the season.
On Tuesday night, ESPN drew a 0.52 and 768,000 for Phillies-Cubs — up a third in ratings and 32% in viewership from last year (Indians-Cubs: 0.39, 580K) and up 30% and 27% respectively from 2017 (Giants-Cubs: 0.40, 607K).
Six of the Cubs’ seven ESPN appearances this season have increased, five by double-digits.
In Tuesday’s nightcap, Braves-Giants had a 0.29 (+12%) and 397,000 (+6%).
Shifting to Fox Sports, last Saturday’s season debut of MLB on FOX had a 1.5 rating and 2.36 million viewers, down a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from the network’s first telecast last season, which took place over Memorial Day weekend (mostly Angels-Yankees: 1.6, 2.47M). The telecast featured Cubs-Nationals in 42% of markets and Astros-Red Sox in 41%.
As one would expect, given the broadcast network exposure, it was the highest rated and most-watched game of the Major League Baseball season. The previous highs were a 1.1 and 1.87 million.
Later in the night, Royals-Angels had 214,000 on FS1.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 5.21; Programming Insider 5.23]
