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Why a World Series Without the Los Angeles Dodgers Won’t Tank Viewership

John Mamola
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Why a World Series Without the Los Angeles Dodgers Won’t Tank Viewership

Major League Baseball is enjoying a surge of success in 2025 heading into the World Series. Commissioner Rob Manfred must be pleased to see all three league television partners showing year-over-year increases in viewership for the 2025 regular season. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN was up 21 percent, the best figures since 2012. TBS saw a 29 percent increase this season, as did FOX Sports, which experienced a nine percent increase year-over-year.

MLB now enters the championship portion of the postseason with three unlikely competitors and one proven commodity. The Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, and Toronto Blue Jays have a combined total of just two World Series championships. The Los Angeles Dodgers alone quadruple that number.

Earlier this year, the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder sparked debate over low ratings. Excluding a game seven, the series produced the lowest viewership (outside of COVID-era numbers) in many years. Could baseball face the same challenge with smaller markets and unfamiliar teams in the spotlight?

Make no mistake: people are watching more baseball in 2025 than last year. MLB also achieved its first three-year run of growth at the turnstiles, with attendance rising slightly for a third consecutive season. The sport is recapturing audiences both in person and at home at levels unseen in years.

Oh The Possibilities

But with the World Series less than a week away, the league faces a familiar challenge. The Dodgers are a juggernaut, drawing attention worldwide and bringing viewers to every nationally televised game. The Brewers, Blue Jays, and Mariners, by contrast, lack comparable national draw.

Milwaukee appeared on national television just ten times this season, with no Sunday Night Baseball coverage. Despite finishing with the best record in baseball at 97-65, the Brewers received minimal attention from a national audience.

Toronto tells a similar story. The Blue Jays appeared on national U.S. television only three times. They finished tied with the New York Yankees for the American League East title but were televised 14 fewer times than New York.

Seattle fared slightly better, with 13 national appearances. Being a West Coast team helps fill late-night slots for networks, and the Mariners led the AL West in national coverage.

Baseball’s crown jewel is the Los Angeles Dodgers. With 21 appearances on national television this season and the defending MVP, Shohei Ohtani, they are baseball’s biggest draw. Without question, the defending champions are one of the largest and most popular brands in the sport.

Ideally on paper, if Commissioner Rob Manfred had his way. Anything involving the Los Angeles Dodgers playing in the World Series would be preferred from a viewership standpoint. An average of 15.8 million people in the United States viewed last year’s World Series, marking a 67 percent increase from the 2023 World Series between the D-backs and Rangers.

Without the Dodgers, how much could viewership drop? Could a Milwaukee-Seattle or Milwaukee-Toronto matchup lead to a sharp decline? And how steep would the drop be if the series included Canada’s lone team?

Right Place, Right Time For MLB

If history has shown anything, the new Nielsen “big data + panel” measuring system could factor into the narrative surrounding baseball and a potential viewership drop with no Dodgers representation in the World Series. The measurement company introduced the new metric on September 1 for live programming, just in time for the start of the college and pro football seasons.

Viewership since its implementation has seen massive gains year-over-year for nearly every NFL and college football product. The same can be said for opening night of the NHL season and the viewership growth for the MLB postseason so far.

To use a radio term, it’s been a shot to television ratings measurement like “Voltair” was to radio brands.

Live programming for sports has benefited from the new measurement system, whereas other programming has struggled to maintain viewership figures. This works to the advantage of countering narratives about small-market teams or lesser-known national commodities playing for the sport’s largest prize.

At least, for now.

The World Series benefited last year from the two largest markets and two most popular brands in the sport playing one another for the game’s ultimate prize. This year will be very different, with three teams of lesser national notoriety as the final four. However, the biggest driver of viewership for the Series itself won’t be anything on the field or in the broadcast booth.

Major League Baseball is the beneficiary of right place, right time. Regardless of which two teams play in the World Series, there will be some decline in viewership but nothing that should worry baseball fans or sports media, unlike what happened this spring with the NBA Finals. Will World Series ratings dominate sports radio? Should columnists and podcasters question the measurement methodology?

Baseball may no longer be the American pastime it once was, but the numbers suggest the sport is thriving in 2025. When viewership is tallied for this less star-studded Fall Classic, remember this: the counting has changed, and the audience is still there.

The answer, as always, is hardly inside baseball.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

The Definitive Guide to News/Talk Radio Success in 2025

Peter Thiele
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The Definitive Guide to News/Talk Radio Success in 2025

Congratulations, you have been hired for a prime on-air radio gig! Do you want to destroy the competition? Do you want people to quickly forget the previous host? Can your show create revenue equal to Walmart? Do you want to have a long run in the position? Well, I want to share with you the strategies necessary to dominate in 2025.

I have witnessed these ideas over the years. There are more things that I can expound upon. I know that hosts who want to succeed can use these ideas.

It is now more than just doing a great radio show. It is about building a loyal audience quickly. In my experience, it is an 18-month process to build an audience, especially in a diary market. Companies are likely not that patient. Your job on day one, besides doing a great show, is to protect the revenue from the previous show.

I get it — you are not in sales. But you will be judged on revenue. I know someone who replaced a long-running morning show. The show’s ratings were okay, considering the jarring change of replacing a landmark show on a heritage station. Over the first six months, several endorsements dried up. This host was working the old paradigm, where sales and programming rarely interact with each other. I can assure you that thinking is passé. Your show’s revenue numbers mean more than the ratings.

So, you are the new host: what do you do? It’s called taking time out to drop by every major advertiser of your station or cluster. Do this on your own. Don’t go with an account executive. This is for a very specific reason: it is a sign to the sales department that you are a partner for every account executive.

What do you say to the advertiser when you stop by? This is relatively simple. Introduce yourself and thank the advertiser for being a part of your show and station. The client will tell the account executive. You will likely be the only media personality in your market who stopped by to say hi and thank you. Here is the other touch: ask for a picture with the boss and his or her team. Post that on the station’s social media. Put that pic up on your show’s social media as well. You want every advertiser to know that you are a partner for their success.

You also need to be on point with the biggest events in your community. You need to make connections with the audience. There are several strategies for this. Your community has a couple of signature events. You must be there, and it is imperative that you include listeners. Invite them. Yes, you will be at Oktoberfest this weekend. Invite the audience to say hi. Or, on Friday, tell your listeners that you will be at the food court of the local mall to enjoy some Bourbon Chicken. You will be there at noon and would love to meet your listeners.

As with business owners, take selfies. Post pictures on the social media for your show and station. There are a couple of reasons to post. It shows that you — the new host — are excited to be a part of the community, the station, and the lives of your listeners. This is such a big win.

Now, I understand that this may be tough to do. What if no one shows? What if there are only a few people? I am not guaranteeing that 300 people will show up. I am guaranteeing that you will make evangelists for yourself, your show, and your station. You will become accessible and personal to them. Perhaps you are worried about your personal safety. Don’t drive to the location. Take a taxi or Uber to and from the station.

Whenever you are recognized at the grocery store, a restaurant, etc., spend time with that listener. Be very polite and appreciate them greeting you. Thank them for listening. Ask if they want to take a selfie for you to post on social media. Most of these people will love that. A quick brush with greatness is a highlight for their miserable existence. You are a star who is thrilled to listen to their observations and concerns. It is a win.

I want you to have a long run at your job. This doesn’t happen by accident. You need a careful strategy to become so essential that you are the radio station’s identity.

Everything in life is built upon relationships. Your success is in your hands. I have heard hosts grouse about a lack of a marketing budget, the studio setup, the equipment, or the station signal. I certainly understand that there are shortcomings in every situation. It is your responsibility to overcome the obstacles. Bitching about them is not how to solve these very real issues. I want you to go out and win. We all have situations that seem uphill. You can do two things: ignore them or overcome the issues. I prefer overcoming the issues.

Here is something that you also need to always remember: you are a champion of the listener and advertiser. You are there to represent them. If you are able to become that champion, you will be victorious.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Why You Can’t Trust The Most Trusted News Anchor Survey

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Why You Can’t Trust The Most Trusted News Anchor Survey

Last month, The Hollywood Reporter ran a long story revealing data from a study conducted by Morning Consult on their behalf. The subject was an important one in this era of political polarization and sinking trust in media. The title says it all: “America’s Most Trusted News Anchors in the Trump Era Are…”

The study was conducted among just over 2,200 adults in the U.S. in August. The claim is “nationally representative,” which is a fudge term, but in the 2020s, we’ll go with it.

So why don’t I have any trust in the survey about trust? It’s simple. We know that fewer and fewer Americans watch the early evening national newscasts or the network morning shows. Despite the recent Kimmel kerfuffle and Colbert’s pending cancellation, both of which have goosed their audiences, the late-night ratings remain low by historical standards.

Despite that, large majorities of the survey respondents knew these people, which I find hard to believe. The results are reported in three pieces: “trust a lot or some,” “trust not much or not at all,” and the “don’t know/no opinion” group. Apparently, a four-point scale was used, and the top two groups went into the first bucket (“trust a lot” and “trust some”), while the next two (“not much trust” and “don’t trust at all”) fell into the next bucket.

Here’s my concern: of the numbers reported, the largest “don’t know/no opinion” number was 33%, and that was for Jeffrey Goldberg, who is listed as PBS/The Atlantic. Do you believe that a survey of Americans would find that 67% know who Jeffrey Goldberg is? I vaguely know who he is, but I also think he may have been one of my classmates from Hebrew School in 1965.

A few other choice results: Tom Llamas had been the anchor of NBC Nightly News for less than three months when the survey was fielded. He’s been at NBC News for a while, but would you accept that 80% of the U.S. population knows who he is and can offer an answer on his trustworthiness?

The CBS Evening News pair, Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, which also started in 2025, didn’t fare quite as well as Llamas, but around 75% of the U.S. knows who they are, according to Morning Consult.

For me, the survey doesn’t pass the smell test. Either there was an undisclosed screen in the survey —something like “Do you watch network newscasts, morning news, late-night talk shows, etc.?” — or perhaps respondents were told something to the effect of “Even if you have only heard the name, answer what comes to mind.”

By way of comparison, NPR has put out some recent articles citing polls the organization sponsors with Marist University and PBS. If you go to Marist’s site, you can click on the “Survey Data” button to see almost anything you want to know, including a solid description of methodology and the results broken out in many ways. While I’m sure most people won’t go there, this gets my personal seal of approval.

The point here is to always question results and be aware of how a questionnaire was designed. Some months ago, just before public broadcasting’s federal funding was pulled, I wrote about a Pew study that purported to show support for public broadcasting. I suggested one of the questions was conflated but praised Pew for their transparency. If you visited their site, you could see just about all the details except the actual questionnaire—much like the Marist survey for NPR/PBS.

I’ll admit to responding to surveys for a combination of curiosity and frequent flyer miles. I answer honestly, but this is sort of a “busman’s holiday” for me. Some of the questionnaires are well-written, while others leave me scratching my head.

I’ve filled out surveys about the image of companies I know very little about beyond the name, under the heading of “Just give your impression.” Fine — my impression of the company’s management, how it treats its employees, and what it’s doing for the environment is “I have no freaking idea.” I was asked if I had heard of the company, and my answer was “yes.” That’s it. Yet some company will pay for the results and possibly take action. You can’t go wrong asking questions of those who ask the questions.

Let’s meet again next week.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

‘The Big Show with John Boy & Billy’ to Cease Later This Year

BMM Staff
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‘The Big Show with John Boy & Billy’ to Cease Later This Year

After decades paired together and in national syndication, The Big Show with John Boy & Billy is set to cease operations later this year.

The Premiere Network program is ending at the end of the calendar year, with John Boy Isley and Billy James ending their show together.

The duo have worked alongside each other since debuting in 1981 in mornings in Charlotte. They later hit national syndication in 1993, reaching more than 100 affiliates at its peak.

Currently, the morning show airs Monday through Saturday from 6-10 AM. It is heard on 37 stations.

The end of the show comes after the station departed its former flagship home — 99.7 The Fox in Charlotte — last year.

Neither of the two have commented publicly about the end of their program as of this publication.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

iHeartMedia Drops Sports Talk on 97.3 The Game Milwaukee Following Layoffs Last Week

BSM Staff
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iHeartMedia Drops Sports Talk on 97.3 The Game Milwaukee Following Layoffs Last Week

Less than a week following layoffs across the country, iHeartMedia has pulled sports talk off their 97.3FM signal in Milwaukee. Barrett Media first reported last week that the company under new local leadership decided to make the move as part of a restructure in conjunction with the company’s reduction in force.

This afternoon at noon local time, the 97.3FM frequency flipped from broadcasting sports to AC format B97.3 FM.

“We’re still doing a show for the rest of the state. We’re on the iHeartRadio app,” said sports director Doug Russell during Monday’s episode of DnD. “We’re on 1070 the game in Madison. But if you did miss the news, 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee, is now a music station.”

The change takes the AC mantle from Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s “B93.3” WLDB as that station awaits the closing of its sale to K-Love Inc. The flip happened following closing remarks on the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers NLCS game one preview with a switch to Pharell Williams “Happy”.

Current 97.3 The Game talent will still be hosting shows on the company’s Madison sports radio signal 1070 The Game, and streaming on the 97.3 The Game iHeartMedia app channel.

Green Bay Packers and University of Wisconsin football broadcasts will now be heard on 95.7 Big-FM.

97.3 The Game launched in November 2018 as the third Sports FM in the market. It’s competitors include Good Karma Brands’ ESPN Milwaukee 94.5FM and Audacy’s 105.7 The Fan. The 97.3 The Game website no longer contains a daily on air lineup, instead offering a number of podcasts hosted by current Game employees.

“We’re still on in Madison, we are still around. We’re still on around the rest of the state,” said Russell. “We’re still on the iHeartRadio app. So we soldier on, as they say.”

The format flip comes less than a week after the station laid off morning hosts Steve Czaban and Brian Butch. Czaban joined 97.3 The Game in 2019, just six months after the iHeartMedia owned station flipped from contemporary hits music to sports talk. He hosted nationally syndicated programs for FOX Sports Radio, Yahoo Sports Radio, Sporting News Radio, and ESPN Radio among others.

Butch joined Czaban in mornings early in 2024. The former professional basketball player from Wisconsin also serves as an analyst on the Big Ten Network and FOX Sports. He also serves as an analyst on the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball broadcasts.

The station also cut 97.3 Program Director Tim Scott after signing a new multi-year contract earlier this year. Scott was with the company since 1998, serving in several roles, as well as a key figure in bringing the broadcast rights for the Green Bay Packers to iHeartMedia beginning in 2022.

Also exiting 97.3 The Game is Matt Schneidman, who hosted an evening show alongside Doug Russell focused on the Green Bay Packers.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

CNN Plans Government Shutdown Town Hall Featuring Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

BNM Staff
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CNN Plans Government Shutdown Town Hall Featuring Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

As the government shutdown continues, CNN has announced plans for a town hall event later this week.

On Wednesday, October 15th at 9 PM ET, the network will feature a town hall with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), as well as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

The town hall will be moderated by CNN anchor and Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins.

According to a statement from the network, it will provide a platform for citizens to ask questions of the members of Congress. It has also committed to ensuring the crowd will be bipartisan in nature, as well as featuring audience members who have been directly affected by the government shutdown.

The town hall event will be held in Washington, D.C.

The special event, dubbed Shutdown America: A CNN Town Hall with Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will be seen on CNN, and available to stream live on CNN.com to pay TV subscribers, as well as on CNN connected TV and mobile apps.

It will be available on demand beginning on Thursday, October 16th.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Number of Active Podcasts Hits New High in September 2025, Listen Notes Data Shows

BNM Staff
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Number of Active Podcasts Hits New High in September 2025, Listen Notes Data Shows

Plenty of people think that there are too many podcasts. But how many podcasts are actually active and producing new content? Listen Notes has the answers in their just-released data.

According to figures unveiled from September 2025, there are 605,122 active podcasts. The term “active podcasts” means that the shows have released at least one new episode since the calendar turned to 2025. That figure represents a 15,000-show increase compared to the prior month.

The move to more than 605,000 active shows surpasses the previous record of 595,514 active programs, which was set in 2020.

Additionally, the company says it has moved more than 18,000 shows to the “dead” category, which is a dramatic decrease compared to previous years. For instance, between 2020 and 2021, 157,000 shows were moved to that category.

To date, 3.6 million podcasts have been created worldwide, releasing a combined 185 million episodes. Of the 3.6 million shows created, 67% have been launched from the United States. In comparison, Brazil is the next largest podcast creator, with just over 200,000 shows launched from that country.

Listen Notes also reports that nearly 3,800 programs were deleted as they were detected as AI-generated shows in its database. That is a decrease from the nearly 4,200 podcasts that fit that bill during the prior month.

Anchor.fm continues to be the most popular podcast hosting service, with 55% of all shows being housed on the platform. Buzzsprout (7%) and Spreaker (4%) are the next closest competitors.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

‘Taste of Country Mornings with Wood and Nicole’ to End

BMM Staff
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‘Taste of Country Mornings with Wood and Nicole’ to End

Taste of Country Mornings with Wood and Nicole is set to end later this month, just over 18 months after its launch.

The show — featuring Matt “Wild” Wood and Nicole Taylor — debuted in March 2024. The program is based in Nashville and is heard from 6-10 AM ET.

In a post on social media, Wood shared that the show would be ending later this month.

“I have had so much fun over the past two years, and I have gotten to work with so many amazing, talented people and got to do so many cool things,” he wrote. “No regrets. “I promise you, there is no tea. No ugly backstory, sometimes things just don’t break the way ya hope. That’s life. So if you know of anything, especially here in Nashville, holler at your boy.”

The show is owned and syndicated by Townsquare Media, utilizing the company’s Taste of Country digital brand. When it debuted, it was heard on four stations in Midland/Odessa, Texas; Grand Junction, Colorado; Quad Cities, Iowa; and Laramie, Wyoming. It expanded to be heard on nearly 20 stations before its cancellation.

Before joining the program, Matt Wood served as the morning co-host at Wild Country 99 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Taylor, meanwhile, was a social media influencer and artist, making content with her sisters as part of an identical set of triplets. The trio featured more than 13 million followers on TikTok and nearly 13 million followers on other social media platforms.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

NBA Debuts New Streaming Platform Alongside Reimagined NBA TV

BSM Staff
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NBA Debuts New Streaming Platform Alongside Reimagined NBA TV

The National Basketball Association is expanding its digital footprint with the launch of a reimagined NBA TV and a new multi-platform streaming hub designed to deliver nonstop basketball content year-round. The upgraded offerings, available Wednesday, October 15, will be accessible through the NBA App, serving as a centralized home for live games, highlights, original programming, and behind-the-scenes access.

Leading the new lineup is The Association, a weeknight primetime “basketball-cast” featuring a mix of familiar names from across the league and media landscape. The cast includes MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes, and John Wall. The flagship show aims to blend news, culture, and storytelling. Capturing the spirit of the modern league while guiding fans toward must-watch moments around the league in real time.

“NBA TV and the NBA App are designed to be a connected, global hub for basketball coverage,” said Sara Zuckert, NBA Senior Vice President and Head of NBA App. “The NBA App streaming platform will provide a seamless, always-on digital experience for fans to access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The expanded platform will feature live games and competitions across multiple leagues, giving fans more basketball than ever before. NBA TV is set to carry 60 regular-season games. Beginning October 25 with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Atlanta Hawks. Additionally, through a collaboration with Sportradar, the NBA App will stream hundreds of live and on-demand games from top international competitions. These include Australia’s NBL, France’s LNB, Germany’s BBL, Spain’s Liga ACB, and China’s CBA.

A new feature, Future Starts Now, will spotlight elite U.S. high school tournaments and rising prospects, offering fans a glimpse of tomorrow’s stars.

Beyond live games, NBA TV will roll out a slate of original programming and podcasts from across the basketball community. Titles such as Thinking Basketball, No Ceilings, The NBA Front Office Show, and The Athletic’s NBA Daily will be housed within the NBA App for seamless access. Creator-driven content from voices like Bree Green, Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, and Jenna Bandy will add a modern, social-driven dimension to coverage.

Meanwhile, Real Training Camp will give fans inside looks at team preparations. Including the Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, and Lakers, while Loud City: The OKC Thunder’s Championship Season, narrated by Jalen Williams, chronicles Oklahoma City’s seven-game Finals win over the Indiana Pacers.

The upcoming season will also include three NBA TV tripleheaders and a full New Year’s Eve lineup.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Salem Podcast Network Partners with Newsweek for The Josh Hammer Show

BNM Staff
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Salem Podcast Network Partners with Newsweek for The Josh Hammer Show

Salem Podcast Network has announced that it has inked a deal with Newsweek to bring The Josh Hammer Show to its growing stable of programs.

Hammer serves as the Senior Editor-at-Large for Newsweek, and has hosted the podcast since November 2023.

It marks an expansion of the partnership between Hammer, Newsweek, and Salem Media. A radio version of the program airs on the company’s AM 660 The Answer in Dallas on weekends. The show is also heard in the Seattle, St. Louis, and Miami markets on other companies’ news/talk stations.

“I am absolutely thrilled to bring The Josh Hammer Show to the Salem Podcast Network,” said Hammer. “Our show already counts Salem’s AM 660, the Answer, in Dallas as a terrestrial affiliate, and I’m delighted to expand that partnership. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together. Most importantly, we’re committed to keeping Charlie Kirk’s memory alive through our work and the values we share.”

The show will launch on Thursday, October 16th. It will air Monday through Friday in a video-first format and will be available on all major podcast platforms.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Josh Hammer to the Salem family,” said David Santrella, CEO of Salem Media Group. “Josh doesn’t follow the crowd – he leads with conviction. He brings sharp ideas, fearless commentary, and a genuine passion for truth. That’s exactly the kind of voice that defines the Salem Podcast Network.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

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