Gary Sheffield, Jr
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After 18 days of Major League Baseball, MLB communications reports that MLBTV just set a 20-year viewership record. The news release claims ratings are up 12% compared to this time last year and 43% from 2019.
A real smoke signal that fan attendance and viewership go hand-in-hand.
With close games, exciting star performances & 2 no-hitters to begin the season, https://t.co/pzZW56BhAE registered the most-watched 18-day period in its 20-season history, including the 7 most-watched days ever.
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) April 19, 2021
Fans have already watched over 1.34 billion minutes of live games. pic.twitter.com/0bWyoZp19C
As most of the replies suggest, these ratings would be through the roof if blackouts never existed. If they allowed local fans to watch their hometown teams on MLBTV without the extra price of cable T.V., the ratings would balloon even further.
Baseball is surging despite undeserved suspensions, embarrassing extra inning rules, and the lack of a consistent DH-rule. Hopefully Manfred can now see that Americans are desperate to live their lives free of regulations. Fans will reward the sport in which they can enjoy their freedoms, so hopefully this trend continues.
I wonder how much of MLB.tv viewership increase is due to the fact that all the streaming services and DISH dropped the Fox regional sports networks. I’d like to see total viewership numbers from all stations. My guess is a net decrease since 2019, but I could be wrong.
Totally agree! I never watched MLB.tv. Still won’t. Being up 43% isn’t significant if you were just a drop prior to this year. Dropping Fox regional forces those who want to watch to go to MLB.tv
Give me the real numbers if you want me to believe MLB viewership is up from 2019
How much of the ratings period was BEFORE the All-Star game fiasco?
I don’t believe it.
“After 18 days of Major League Baseball, MLB communications reports that MLBTV just set a 20-year viewership record. The news release claims ratings are up 12% compared to this time last year and 43% from 2019.”
Hey Gary,
Just have to mention a couple of things that are confusing; maybe it’s just me, but…
o MLBTV says they just set a 20-year viewership record. MLBTV Network launched 1/1/2009?
o MLBTV estimated they would refund in excess of $200MIL to subscribers for last year’s fiasco.
o MLBTV estimates they had 3.5 million subscribers at the end of 2019.
o How many of those were full-year subscriptions? How many monthly?
o In March 2021 there were 74 million subscribers to cable services in US, and dropping at a rate of 4 million/yr for some time now
o In 2020 there were 25 million cord-cutters
o 3.5 million MLBTV subscribers = approx 5% of all US cable subscribers (74 million)
o MLBTV says viewership is up 43% from 2019? In 2019 we didn’t have covid or BLM, yet viewership is NOW UP 43% from then…somebody’s tryin’ to sell us a bridge over Manhattan.
Even viewership being up 12% from the “lost season of covid” sounds pretty much like all those electronics stores that tell us “everything’s reduced 50%” (the week after they worked overtime with their pricing guns to slap 100% increases on all the merchandise)
What MLBTV says in their press release doesn’t pass the eye test or the smell test.
“Baseball is surging”? Uh…I don’t know about that. Maybe on SEC college campuses, but most MLB ballparks are trying to get 25% of the seats filled, unless a county health official has a hissy fit. No fans were allowed at MLB parks all last year, until the LCS and the WS. And with all the BLM stuff going on, you think fans were glued to their TVs at this time last year?
Looks like “The Commish has no clothes” should be the headline.
Rick – good stuff. Like you, I am skeptical. I do see a lot of red fans posting who are excited about the season and excited about the fact they can go into the ballpark after last year‘s mess. The real measuring stick will be 2022. I canceled my MLB.tv account a few weeks ago. Very sad.
Reds fans**
LOL Eric…I wasn’t sure you meant red (pill) or Reds til you cleared it up.
The blackout rules are an albatross around the neck of the sport. Let local fans watch local teams on MLB.TV, and the ratings would be a heck of a lot higher.
It’s gotta be online betting. There isn’t much to bet on right now. I hate the Pirates but watch them when I bet against them.
LIE LIE LIE BULLSHIT BULLSHIT LIE LIE BULLSHIT LIE BULLSHIT BULLSHIT LIE
Ole Miss College Baseball AVERAGING MORE FANS at their stadium than the NY Yankees.
butttt BaseBALL iSSS dyINGGGG Socccccer and Lacrossssse are the future guys
I like Sheff, but this is bogus. Let’s see where we are Memorial Day. Well have a much greater sample size, and we can go off of ESPN, FS1, and Fox Saturday games.