Numbers: Yankees-Red Sox Ratings, Phillies, EPL

Yankees-Red Sox ratings were big locally and nationally this week. In other news, Phillies ratings have taken a hit with the Sixers and Flyers both back in the playoffs, and Premier League ratings were a mixed bag in the penultimate week of the season.

Yanks-Sox Big Locally and Nationally

Wednesday’s Red Sox-Yankees Major League Baseball game scored a 0.7 rating and 1.0 million viewers on ESPN, the largest weekday audience of the season outside of Opening Day. Viewership increased 157% from last year (Cardinals-Marlins: 406K) and 58% from 2016 (Royals-Yankees: 662K).

The previous night’s meeting between the rivals had a 0.32 and 505,000 on MLB Network. That does not include local RSN coverage in both markets. In New York, YES Network pulled a 6.76 rating and 603,000 viewers for Tuesday’s game — the network’s highest rated and most-watched telecast since Derek Jeter‘s final home game in 2014.

In other recent action, ESPN pulled a 0.9 and 1.4 million for Cubs-Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball, a game that was delayed an hour due to rain and ended just before 2 AM ET. The Cardinals’ walk-off win declined 40% in ratings and 41% in viewership from last year (Yankees-Cubs: 1.5, 2.4M) and 25% and 24% respectively from 2016 (Red Sox-Yankees: 1.2, 1.9M). Even with the caveat that prior years set a high bar, Sunday’s game continued a streak of six-straight declines for ESPN’s game of the week.

ESPN also pulled 357,000 for a special afternoon Dodgers-Padres game Sunday and 366,000 (-38%) for Twins-Cardinals on Monday night. FS1 scored a 388,000 (-9%) for Tigers-Royals and 257,000 for Dodgers-Padres on Saturday.

Phillies Slip With Added Competition

Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball games have averaged a 3.46 rating on NBC Sports Philadelphia, down 4% from the same point last year. Unlike last year, the Phillies have had to compete with Sixers and Flyers postseason games. Despite the overall decline, ratings are up 18% in adults 25-54.

EPL Mixed in Penultimate Week

Last Saturday’s Southampton-Everton English Premier League match had a 0.5 rating and 756,000 viewers on NBC, up 96% in ratings and 78% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (Stoke City-Arsenal: 0.27, 425K) and up 51% and 54% respectively from 2016 on USA (Leicester City-Everton: 0.35, 491K).

In other action, Liverpool-Chelsea scored a 0.33 and 574,000 on NBCSN Sunday morning — off 6% in ratings but up 1% in viewership from last year (Tottenham-Manchester United: 0.35, 568K). Also posting increases were Brighton-Manchester United last Friday (214K, +4%) and Chelsea-Huddersfield this past Wednesday (170K, +8%).

Several other matches showed declines in the penultimate week of the season, including Bournemouth-Swansea (203K, -32%) and Stoke-Crystal Palace (180K, -32%) last Saturday, Manchester City-Huddersfield on Sunday (290K, -1%) and Swansea-Southampton on Tuesday (134K, -23%)

[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 5.7, 5.8 a, b, 5.9, 5.10, Programming Insider 5.9, 5.10; YES Network, NBC Sports]