For the second time in three weeks, FOX earned its largest Major League Baseball audience in five years.
Regional Major League Baseball action featuring Red Sox-Yankees in 70% of markets had a 2.0 rating and 3.2 million viewers on FOX, up 25% in ratings and 31% in viewership from last year (ft. Yankees-Astros: 1.6, 2.5M) and up 43% and 55% respectively from 2016 (ft. Cubs-Mets: 1.4, 2.1M).
The telecast ranks as the most-watched of the season on any network, topping the previous high of 3.1 million for regional coverage on FOX two weeks earlier (ft. Cubs-Cardinals). The Yankees have played in four of the five most-watched windows.
In addition to the season-high, it was the most-watched regular season window on FOX since the 2013 season, and tied as the highest rated. FOX has now earned a 2.0 rating twice this season, after failing to do so in each of the previous four.
Across all networks, it was the third-most watched regular season telecast since 2013, behind Cubs-Cardinals Opening Night games in 2015 (3.4M on ESPN2) and 2017 (3.6M on ESPN). Two of the four largest audiences over that span have come in the past month, with the previously mentioned FOX regional window two weeks ago ranking fourth.
Five of the six MLB windows on FOX this season have increased, including all three during the World Cup.
On Sunday, the same Red Sox-Yankees matchup had a 1.5 rating and 2.4 million viewers — up 67% in ratings and 78% in viewership from last year (Nationals-Cardinals: 0.9, 1.37M) and up 67% and 81% respectively from 2016 (Marlins-Braves: 0.9, 1.35M).
It was the highest rated and most-watched game on ESPN this season, topping the previous highs of 1.4 (twice) and 2.2 million (Yankees-Angels in April).
After starting the season with ten straight declines, Sunday Night Baseball ratings have now increased in three of four weeks.
In other action, Red Sox-Nationals scored 908,000 on ESPN Monday night, up a third from last year (Red Sox-Rangers: 683K). Excluding Yankees games, it was the most-watched weeknight MLB telecast since Opening Day.
Largest MLB Regular Season Audiences Since 2013
