ESPN and TBS both had declines in ratings and viewership for regular season Major League Baseball coverage.
ESPN averaged a 1.0 U.S. rating and 1.386 million viewers for regular season MLB telecasts in 2010, according to Sports Business Daily, down a tick in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.607 mil).
This marks the least-viewed MLB regular season on ESPN over the past four seasons.
The network’s Sunday Night Baseball telecasts averaged a 1.4 U.S. rating and 2.177 million viewers, down 13% and 11%, respectively, from last year (1.6, 2.458 mil).
For perspective, ESPN averaged a 1.1 U.S. rating and 1.561 million viewers for NBA coverage during the 2009-10 season, and a 2.0 and 3.104 million for college football coverage through late September.
Over on TBS, regular season coverage averaged a 0.4 U.S. rating and 557,000 viewers, flat in ratings but down 11% in viewership compared to last year (0.4, 614,000), and the network’s least-viewed season since it began airing weekly games in 2008.
Keep in mind that Wednesday games on ESPN and Sunday games on TBS were blacked out in local markets. ESPN’s Monday night games co-exist with local broadcasts and the network’s Sunday night games are exclusive.
