MLB viewership is trending up on MLB Network; Sunday Night Baseball took another hit from Mother Nature; the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction posted a big increase.
MLB Games Up on MLB Network
MLB Network has averaged 241,000 viewers for live Major League Baseball games this season, up 3% from last year. The increase has been more pronounced for the network’s primary “Showcase” games. Those telecasts have averaged 362,000, up 10%.
Rain Sinks Sunday Night Baseball
Cubs-Cardinals scored a 1.0 rating and 1.5 million viewers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball last weekend, down a tick in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (Giants-Dodgers: 1.1, 1.7M) and down 17% and 12% respectively from 2016 (Mariners-Cubs: 1.2, 1.7M). The game was delayed more than an hour due to rain, marking the third of 17 Sunday night windows this season to be delayed or postponed.
The same matchup had a 0.30 and 463,000 on FS1 Saturday, up 11% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (Giants-Dodgers: 0.27, 421K) and down 30% and 21% from 2016 (Nationals-Giants: 0.40, 588K). In other weekend action, Dodgers-Braves had a 0.29 (-26%) and 436,000 (-22%) on TBS Sunday.
Shifting to the workweek, Phillies-Red Sox had a 0.7 (+35%) and 986,000 (+34%) on ESPN Monday night and a 0.48 and 701,000 on Tuesday. Monday’s Brewers-Dodgers nightcap had 427,000.
Hall of Fame Induction Up
Sunday’s Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony earned 340,000 viewers on MLB Network, up 31% from last year (259K) but down 27% from 2016 (464K). The event trailed the competing Dodgers-Braves game on TBS, which as mentioned above had 436,000.
[Numbers from ShowBuzz Daily 7.31 a, b, 8.1; Programming Insider 7.31, 8.1]
