The numbers were not exactly earth-shattering, but Major League Baseball’s “Summer Camp” was a decent enough ratings draw.
Sunday’s White Sox-Cubs MLB “Summer Camp” game averaged a 0.31 rating and 525,000 viewers on ESPN, up 30% in ratings and 62% in viewership from the network’s previous MLB window, a weekday afternoon Red Sox-Braves Spring Training game in March (0.24, 325K).
It was the most-watched MLB exhibition game on any network since ESPN averaged 863,000 for a game in Cuba four years ago. The most-watched Spring Training game ever on ESPN was a 2004 Yankees-Phillies matchup that averaged 912,000.
As one might expect, the numbers pale in comparison to regular season Sunday Night Baseball levels. On the same July Sunday last year, ESPN averaged a 0.8 and 1.33 million for Braves-Nationals.
Keep in mind that unlike a traditional Sunday Night Baseball game, ESPN’s broadcast was blacked out locally. NBC Sports Chicago averaged a 3.93 rating for its coverage, the highest for a White Sox broadcast on the network since 2012.
In addition, it aired directly opposite a competing Yankees-Mets telecast on MLB Network (0.16, 260K).
Compared to ESPN’s previous Sunday night programming, White Sox-Cubs was no match for “The Last Dance,” 30 For 30 documentaries, or even an Eagles concert film that aired over July 4 weekend (775K). It did top an episode of Backstory, the ESPY Awards and last week’s “MLS is Back” doubleheader.
The game was not ESPN’s most-watched program of the day, trailing the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix Sunday morning (0.42, 703K).
In other Summer Camp action, ESPN2 averaged a 0.27 and 410,000 for Yankees-Mets on Saturday night. The game easily outdrew ESPN’s competing “MLS is Back” match (Portland-Houston: 0.15, 266K).
As with Sunday’s game, Saturday’s broadcast was blacked out locally. YES Network averaged 196,000 viewers for the game, and 204,000 for the full three-game series. By comparison, the network averaged 100,000 for this year’s abbreviated Spring Training schedule. Figures on SNY were not immediately available.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 7.21, Jeff Nuich/Twitter 7.20, YES]
