Television ratings for baseball games on regional sports networks saw ratings increase in 2015, based on information from Nielsen for the 29 domestic clubs in Major League Baseball.
To add, 25 of the 29 rated #1 on cable while one-third of the league ranked #1 across all networks during the season in prime time, making baseball the key summer content for advertisers.
Leading the way were the Kansas City Royals with a whopping 12.98 ratings average on FOX Sports Kansas City for the season, up 82% from the 7.15 average they posted last season. It is the highest local ratings in baseball over the past 13 seasons. Ratings increase were driven by their World Series appearance last year, and following up with an outstanding 2015 regular season going 95-67. They were followed by the St. Louis Cardinals who saw a 10.86 average rating on FOX Sports Midwest up 32% from last year when they ranked 3rd in all the league. Coming in third were the Pittsburgh Pirates who finished with the 3rd best record in all of baseball. They posted a 9.15 on ROOT Sports, up 8% from the 8.49 in 2014.
The largest increase in ratings came by way of the NL Wild Card winning Chicago Cubs who saw a 3.6 ratings average, up from 1.54 last season on CSN Chicago.
On the downside, the disappointing season by the Detroit Tigers were reflective in the ratings. The club held the top ratings at the local level last season but dropped to 4th in the league posting a 6.42 rating on FOX Sports Detroit down 25% from the 8.58 rating last year.
Putting the most significant drag on substantial ratings increases for the league was the Chicago White Sox. The club from the South Side of Chicago rated last in the ratings in 2014 and did so again this season, just in more dramatic fashion. Ratings on CSN Chicago were down 28%, making them the only club to see ratings below a 1 household rating. That’s saying something considering the Dodgers pulled a 1.03 with carriage only on Time Warner and Charter in the Los Angeles area. The White Sox could only muster the 7th highest ratings on cable in the Chicago area for CSN Chicago, and 17th across all of television.
Other highlights:
- Despite a lackluster season in the standings, the San Diego Padres saw ratings increase 24% on FOX Sports San Diego.
- While they continue to be abysmal with their attendance, the Tampa Bay Rays ranked 11th in the ratings.
- The New York Yankees made the playoffs after missing them for two consecutive seasons. The Bronx Bombers were competitive most of the season, and yet ratings dropped on YES Network from a 3.41 in 2014 to 3.06 in 2015.
- The Mets stormed the NL East after the trade deadline and ran away with the Division. If fans were less impressed with the Yankees that certainly wasn’t the case for the Mets. Ratings were up a whopping 63% over last season pulling a 2.84 rating on SNY compared to a 1.74 last season.
- While we didn’t have ratings for last season for the Houston Astros on CSN Houston, getting their TV deal sorted out on ROOT Sports has helped them as the team won the AL Wild Card. While the Astros ranked 23 in the league by U.S. clubs, they posted a 2.42 HH rating. That was ahead of the Atlanta Braves who saw a 37% drop in the ratings.
To see the ratings for each market, visit Forbes where this article was originally published
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
