The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees in the rubber match of a three-game series, securing a 3-0 victory on ESPN’s presentation of Sunday Night Baseball. The ESPN broadcast attained an average of 2.36 million viewers, representing the most-watched edition of Sunday Night Baseball since 2019 excluding opening weekend games. Additionally, a peak audience of 2.95 million viewers tuned in to the contest at 8:45 p.m. EST, according to data from Nielsen Media Research.
Throughout the broadcast, which featured play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech, analyst Eduardo Pérez and reporter Buster Olney, the commentary discussed the MLB All-Star Game rosters that were revealed beforehand on ESPN. Moreover, the presentation included an in-game interview with Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. ESPN analyst David Cone was under the weather and missed the broadcast but called in over the phone for an inning.
As Major League Baseball heads into its All-Star break, Sunday Night Baseball is averaging 1.62 million viewers, which is up 6% over last season. The broadcast property will return to the air on Sunday, July 21 when the Boston Red Sox face the Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. ESPN will also broadcast a matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m. EST. Earlier in the year, a matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres averaged 1.96 million viewers on ESPN.
Within the All-Star Break, ESPN will televise the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday, July 14 at 7 p.m. that will also be available to stream live on ESPN+. The next day, ESPN platforms will broadcast the T-Mobile Home Run Derby from Globe Life Field at 8 p.m. EST. The contest will feature a new format in which the players with the top four scores will advance and that hitters will see a maximum of 40 pitches in each round. Participants who have been announced for the Home Run Derby thus far include Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, Bobby Witt Jr., Marcell Ozuna and Alec Bohm.
