MLB Draws Major Bump In Viewers From Primetime Dodgers-Padres Matchup
Is baseball viewership on the upswing?
MLB caught a surprising bump in numbers when ESPN showed the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres matchup on Sunday Night Baseball.
The New York Post's Andrew Marchand relayed the viewership numbers from the primetime game.
The star-studded contest between the Dodgers and Padres (eventual winners of the weekend series in L.A.) reeled in nearly two million viewers, a darn good number. According to Marchand, Sunday's game was the "most watched non-Yanks-Red Sox game in almost six years," aired on ESPN.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez heads to the dugout amidst a picturesque sky against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on April 14.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Dodgers-Padres drew approximately 1.96 million viewers Sunday night. The game's viewership peaked at 2.2 million at 9:30 p.m. (EST).
The rivalry series had excitement, and the numbers backed it up. Key storylines like Shohei Ohtani's betting investigation and Manny Machado's revenge game culminated in a ratings monster for MLB.
The ESPN broadcast featured a clever switcheroo by a Dodgers fan who caught Manny Machado's solo homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. The cameras lucked out when the fan delivered an excellent post-catch interview.
San Diego's 6-3 win over the Dodgers sealed the weekend series victory against their NL west rivals, first winning on Friday and dropping Saturday's game.
The Chavez Ravine face-off became the cherry on top of a good day of baseball action. Earlier in the slate of games, Atlanta pulled a miraculous comeback win over the Miami Marlins — coming down to a ‘final' pitch to Marcell Ozuna.
As the NBA Playoffs backslide with audiences, sports fans in the spring may pivot back to baseball. The ESPN Press Room noted that, on average, 1.75 million viewers tune into Sunday Night Baseball this year, "up 20 percent from this point last season."
MLB's got one major thing going for it, related to Sunday's game. Unlike pro basketball, MLB has its marketable star, Shohei Ohtani, to carry the league forward, regardless of whether Ohtani is innocent or kinda innocent.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in the dugout during the game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on April 14. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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