Though both had declines from last year, the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers again topped the list of highest rated Major League Baseball teams.
Cardinals games averaged a 7.89 rating on Fox Sports Midwest during the 2014 regular season, down 11% from last year (8.83) but up 3% from 2012 (7.70). After a second-place finish last year, the Cardinals averaged the highest local rating in Major League Baseball — the first time the team has topped the charts since 2010.
Bumped from the top spot for the first time in three years, the Tigers finished in second place this season. Games averaged a 7.72 rating on Fox Sports Detroit, down 20% from last year (9.59) and down 16% from 2012 (9.21), but still the network’s third-highest average on record for Tigers coverage (dates back to 1996).
The Pirates finished a close third with a 7.67 average on Root Sports Pittsburgh, with the Royals (6.71 on FS Kansas City) and the Indians (6.10 on SportsTime Ohio) rounding out the top five.
Shifting gears, the Angels had the largest year-over-year increase in baseball. Coverage on Fox Sports West averaged a 1.65 rating this season, up 49% from last year’s 1.11. It would seem likely the team benefited from the Dodgers’ distribution woes.
The Brewers had the second-largest increase, with ratings rising 46% to a 5.55 on FS Wisconsin. Rounding out the top five, Padres ratings jumped 26% to a 3.06 on Fox Sports San Diego, the Marlins (1.60) had a 24% increase on Sun Sports, and the Mariners (4.71) scored a 22% bump on Root Sports Northwest.
Outside the top five, ratings for the New York Yankees on YES Network rose 14% to a 2.99 rating this season. While that marks a recovery from last year’s 2.62, it still represents a 24% decline from 2012 (3.92), the last time the team made the playoffs.
(Nielsen)
