Opening day audience best non-Covid season since 2018 Broadcast peaks at 2.23m MLB offers coupon as compensation for MLB.TV outage The Dodgers’ clash with the Detroit Tigers formed the second part of the ESPN’s 2024 opening day doubleheader, averaging 1.74 million viewers – a ten per cent increase from last year. The game peaked at […]
- Opening day audience best non-Covid season since 2018
- Broadcast peaks at 2.23m
- MLB offers coupon as compensation for MLB.TV outage
The Dodgers’ clash with the Detroit Tigers formed the second part of the ESPN’s 2024 opening day doubleheader, averaging 1.74 million viewers – a ten per cent increase from last year. The game peaked at 2.2 million.
As for ESPN, this could be its last year as an MLB broadcaster. ESPN is opting out of its US0 million-a-year deal with the league three years early, believing it isn’t receiving enough value from the contract.
That year saw Californian neighbours the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers yield an average audience of 1.97 million.
Postseason viewing was also up and the 2024 World Series was the most-watched since edition since 2017, with the Dodgers’ triumph over the Yankees averaging 15.8 million and peaking at 21.3 million on Fox.
However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for MLB, with many subscribers to its MLB.TV direct to consumer (DTC) service complaining of an outage on opening day. The league has offered a money-off coupon for the MLB Shop to fans as compensation.
Last season was the best-attended in seven years and saw several broadcasters report double-digit increases in viewership among younger audiences.
While the Yankees’ first fixture in the Covid-19 affected 2020 season generated delivered a much higher average of 4.1 million, Sports Media Watch notes that 2024 is the most-watched opener in a comparable season since 2018.
ESPN posted its best Major League Baseball (MLB) opening day audience in seven years, with the clash between the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday 27th March averaging 1.93 million viewers and peaking at 2.23 million.
ESPN’s ratings build on a 59 per cent increase on viewership of the season-opening Tokyo Series from the previous year’s Korea Series and will be encouraging for MLB, which will want to continue the momentum generated by a successful 2024 campaign.
