Sports Ratings Tracker

Last weekend’s edition of MLB on FOX averaged a 1.2 rating and 2.4 million viewers on FOX, up from last year’s equivalent window (2.3M), albeit within the margin that can be explained by Nielsen methodological changes.

FOX now owns seven of the 11 largest MLB audiences so far this season, with the caveat that NBC’s “Sunday Night Baseball” has only aired on Nielsen-rated television twice thus far. Three of the four exceptions took place on Opening Night (Netflix) and Opening Day (NBC).

The latest edition of MLB “Sunday Night Baseball” (Padres-Mariners) averaged a combined 2.0 million viewers on NBC across Nielsen (1.0, 1.80M) and Adobe Analytics, down from last year’s higher-profile Yankees-Mets “Subway Series” game on ESPN, which at the time was the most-watched Sunday night game since 2018 (2.5M).

Padres-Mariners was originally scheduled to air on Peacock and NBCSN, but was moved up to NBC when the network ended up without an NBA playoff game.

Viewership slipped from the previous NBC edition of “Sunday Night Baseball,” Guardians-Braves last month — which averaged 2.2 million (1.1 rating, 1.95M viewers per Nielsen). As one might expect, neither “Sunday Night Baseball” game has matched NBC’s Opening Day doubleheader of Diamondbacks-Dodgers at 3.2 million (1.5, 2.74M per Nielsen) and Pirates-Mets at 2.3 million (1.2, 2.06M per Nielsen).

NBC will begin a regular run of “Sunday Night Baseball” coverage a week from Sunday, airing the series on all-but-two weekends through August.

“Sunday Night Baseball” was not the top MLB telecast of last week, as FOX averaged a 1.4 and 2.50 million for regional coverage featuring the Subway Series and the same Padres-Mariners matchup — the network’s second-largest audience of the season and a 31% increase from the same weekend last year (1.91M).

The latest edition of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry averaged 2.57 million viewers on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” over the weekend, marking the third-largest audience of the MLB season — behind only Yankees-Dodgers on ESPN June 1 (2.73M) and regional action featuring Red Sox-Yankees on FOX June 7 (3.0M).

The Yankees’ win, which peaked with 2.89 million viewers in the 8:15 PM ET quarter-hour, nearly doubled last year’s comparable Astros-Orioles game (1.31M).

Over on FOX, a Thursday night window featuring Yankees-Red Sox averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.33 million viewers — up from a 1.1 and 1.95 million last year.

Going back to the prior weekend, FOX averaged a 1.1 and 2.01 million (+17%) for its usual Saturday regional, while ESPN drew just shy of 1.7 million for the Mariners-Mets “Little League Classic” (-22%).

The latest edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (Cubs-Cardinals) averaged 1.98 million viewers last weekend, peaking at 2.1 million in the 9:15 PM ET quarter-hour — more than double Mets-Mariners opposite the Olympics last year (937K).

ESPN is now averaging 1.69 million viewers for MLB games this season, including 1.73 million for Sunday Night Baseball — both up ten percent from the same point last year. The Sunday night average is the highest at this point of a season since 2017.

On FOX last weekend, regional action featuring the same Cubs-Cardinals matchup averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.8 million viewers — up sharply from last year opposite the Olympics (0.6, 1.07M).

The latest edition of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball (Tigers-Phillies) averaged 2.03 million viewers, peaking at 2.42 million — up 72% from last year’s Cardinals-Cubs game, which aired opposite the Olympics (1.18M). Sunday night games are now averaging 1.68 million, up 7% from last year and the highest average since 2017.

In other weekend action, the Braves-Reds MLB Speedway Classic — which began Saturday night but was largely played Saturday afternoon — averaged 1.6 million. The rain delay portion Saturday night averaged 1.8 million.

For more, see this article.

The latest edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (Mets-Giants) averaged 1.66 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, peaking at 2.10 million — down 3% from last year, when the series featured Yankees-Red Sox but also aired opposite the Olympics (1.71M).

Sunday Night Baseball is still averaging 1.7 million viewers for the season, up 5% from last year and the highest since 2017.

On FOX the previous night, regional action featuring Dodgers-Red Sox averaged 2.02 million — down 2% from last year, which like the Sunday night window featured Yankees-Red Sox opposite the Olympics (2.07M).

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball returned from All-Star hiatus with 1.61 million viewers for Tigers-Rangers on July 20, down only a hair from a larger-market pairing of the Red Sox and Dodgers last year (1.62M).

The previous night, regional MLB action featuring Red Sox-Cubs averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.7 million viewers on FOX — down 23% and 20% respectively from last year (1.1, 2.12M).

Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game averaged a 3.8 rating and 7.19 million viewers on FOX, tying last year as the lowest rated on record and surpassing only two years ago as the least-watched (7.01M). Nonetheless, it remains easily the most-watched All-Star Game in sports.

The Midsummer Classic — which peaked with 8.1 million viewers — declined 3% from last year (7.44M).

For more, see this article.

ESPN averaged 1.71 million viewers for Cardinals-Cubs and 844,000 for Rangers-Padres in a rare Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader last weekend. As one might expect, both games declined from a solo Red Sox-Yankees window on the same weekend last year (2.36M). ESPN had not aired a Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

On FOX, regional action last weekend averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.51 million viewers — the network’s second-largest audience of the season, but down a tick and 7% respectively from the same weekend last year (1.4, 2.7M).

The June 28 edition of MLB on FOX averaged a 1.1 rating and 2.38 million viewers, the network’s second-largest audience of the season, but down a tick and 4% respectively from last year.

Facing Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Mets-Phillies averaged 1.47 million viewers on the latest edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball — with 14% of that audience watching the “Statcast” alternate presentation on ESPN2. Viewership declined only 7% from Mets-Cubs last year, which did not face NBA competition (1.58M).

On FOX the previous night, regional action averaged a 1.0 rating and 2.00 million opposite breaking news coverage — not counting a brief preemption at 10 PM ET — down from a 1.2 and 2.21 million last year. Coverage trailed the competing Men’s College World Series Game 1 on ESPN.

On Tuesday night, Braves-Mets averaged a 0.31 and 527,000 on TBS and truTV — actually up from a Mets-Yankees game on TBS alone last year (0.28, 484K).

Giants-Dodgers averaged 1.91 million viewers on the latest edition of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, down 8% from Yankees-Red Sox last year (2.07M).

The previous night, regional action on FOX featuring Yankees-Red Sox drew a 1.1 and 2.12 million — down 9 and 12 percent respectively from coverage featuring the same matchup a year ago.

Regional Major League Baseball action featuring Red Sox-Yankees averaged 3.0 million viewers on FOX Saturday night, marking the largest regular season MLB audience on any network since the same matchup on FOX in September 2022, in the middle of the Aaron Judge home run chase (3.1M).

The rivalry also averaged 1.92 million on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, actually down from Dodgers-Yankees in the same window last year (2.30M). Sunday Night Baseball nonetheless remains up 12% to its highest season-to-date average since 2017.

For more on the numbers, see this article.

The May 25 edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (Dodgers-Mets) averaged 1.67 million viewers on ESPN, more than double a rain-delayed Cubs-Cardinals game on the same night last year (847K). Sunday Night Baseball viewership was up 16% for the season through May.

The previous night, FOX averaged a 1.1 and 2.3 million for coverage featuring the same Dodgers-Mets matchup — the network’s most-watched game window this season and up from last year (1.0, 1.94M).

On TBS last Tuesday, Braves-Phillies drew a 0.17 and 278,000 (+22%).

The latest edition of MLB on TBS — Mets-Red Sox — averaged 305,000 viewers across TBS and truTV, up 23% from Braves-Cubs last year. MLB on TBS is now averaging 313,000 viewers for the season, up 16% from last year and up 13% from 2023.

Going back to last weekend, FOX averaged 1.91 million for regional MLB action featuring Braves-Red Sox or Twins-Brewers. Last year’s comparable window was affected by rainouts and averaged 1.1 million.

FOX averaged 2.02 million for its regional Major League Baseball window last weekend, which the network says is the largest audience of the MLB season.

The following night, the latest edition of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball (Phillies-Guardians) averaged 1.3 million — down 13% from Braves-Mets a year ago (1.5M).

In other MLB action, TBS drew 294,000 for Red Sox-Tigers on Tuesday night — down from Yankees-Twins last year (308K).

The latest edition of MLB on TBS (Guardians-Orioles) averaged 250,000 viewers, up 46% from Braves-Astros last year (202K). TBS MLB games are currently averaging 346,000 (+21%).

In other MLB action, FS1 drew 354,000 for Royals-Tigers on Thursday, 201,000 for Mariners-Reds on Wednesday and 389,000 for Giants-Yankees last Saturday.

The two-game, season-opening Dodgers-Cubs Major League Baseball series from Tokyo averaged 590,000 viewers across Fox Sports, with the first game drawing 838,000 viewers on FOX and the second 361,000 on FS1. Viewership increased 59 percent from last year’s comparable Dodgers-Padres Seoul series on ESPN. (FOX 3/20)