So, it may take some time for viewership to rebound to pre-pandemic levels as we saw in 2019. MLS is pulling fans into stadiums, but TV audiences remain Additionally, regional demographic factors, such as a higher interest in baseball within certain parts of the United States, can also impact viewership figures. Considering the massive success of this game, its a safe bet that MLB will look to expand on it in the future. It shows that despite the pandemic, baseball still managed to draw in a large audience, indicating that the sport is still a major draw for viewers. Major League Fielding Encyclopedia. It is a sign that the MLB needs to take steps to ensure that its viewership numbers remain high in the future, and that it can continue to attract fans to its games. NBA viewership across TNT, ESPN and ABC up 34% | NBA.com The final games in each series also ended on a bright note, with FOX and TBS pulling in a sizable audience. How has MLB viewership changed over the past decade? Theres nothing Manfred can do about pitchers taking advantage of tracking data and advanced coaching to improve their game, but MLB must be accountable for the rise in three-outcome ABs. Regardless of the drop, live sports content is still critical to linear television with most considering flat the new up, and even downward trends acceptable in relationship to traditional programming that has nose-dived as options for viewers have dramatically increased and an appetite for watching on-demand in the DVR era. (The World Series delivers approximately the same amount of TV time as a full season of a one-hour primetime television show.). ". 20823 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA - MapQuest This year's World Series averaged 11.78 million viewers on FOX alone. One huge positive for MLB, per SportsMediaWatch, this was ESPNs most-watched broadcast since the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. This is an encouraging sign for the future of the franchise, and it speaks to the strength of the MLBs viewership numbers overall. Related: Hungry for more MLB news? This statistic highlights the fact that MLB games are becoming increasingly popular, even outside of the United States. But, per Sports Media Watch, these numbers are a drastic fall from the last Red Sox-Yankees elimination game in 2004 (31.46 million). So, its a myth that late start times disengage kids from an interest in Major League Baseball. Its an improvement for baseball, but there is one slight cause for concern. This statistic is a testament to the enduring popularity of the Blue Jays, even in the face of a shortened season. Still, when compared to 2019, TV HHs are down -32%. If comparing it to other pro sports, the NFL lost more viewers from one Sunday Night Football game to the next than any MLB regular-season game drew this year. The 74% increase in MLB local ratings in Houston is a testament to the power of baseball in the city. Overall, there has been a significant shedding of pay-TV subscribers. Click the logo and sign up for access to the ESPN Images Library. For every pitching change it stops the flow of the game, and not only is play stopped, but the networks use it as valuable time to run advertisements to offset the hefty media rights fees they pay to MLB to air the games. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. Even for a game that didnt exactly live up to the hype, the numbers were stellar for ESPN. Ft. 19351 Bluefish Ln #106, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. A greater issue, one that MLB has ignored until now, is the use of sticky substances that many players viewed as the biggest scandal in sports. MLB live game streaming on FOX Sports digital platforms during the 2020 regular season was up 13% compared to 2019. 2022 World Series TV ratings and viewership - MLB The state of baseball: The Grand Old Game needs fresh ideas The 2021 All-Star game in Denver averaged a 4.5 rating and 8.32 million viewers on Fox, which was down 7% in ratings and 10% in viewership from '20. 32010 -- No. 112006 -- No. Quit perpetuating the myth that this is a new thing. While MLB has seen some fluctuation from 2000-19, the 2020 World Series finished with troubling numbers. "We felt like by starting on a Friday night, we had a potential to take advantage of that audience that is out enjoying their Friday night and maybe watching some sports at the same time," Mulvihill said. SOLD MAR 20, 2023. Houston is one of the most hated teams in baseball and the Braves have a smaller market size than Los Angeles. He credited the 2022 schedule change to starting the World Series on a Friday night as helping drive a younger audience to the Series, especially because of strong out-of-home viewership -- people watching at bars, restaurants, hotels, workplaces, etc., which the Nielsen ratings now measure. The effects of this still havent really hit yet. "It's been a hit show in primetime for 50 years, and it probably will be for 50 more years.". This isnt just baseball. 82008 -- No. In the midst of all of the local television data, one thing that stands out is the continued regional interest by fans compared to national broadcasts. If they do, a rematch against the Houston Astros or a clash against Boston would pull in huge numbers for the World Series. There was also a big gain in the key 18-to-34-year-old demographic, with viewers up 9% in that category.\n\nMulvihill said this year's World Series audience \"totally met\" FOX's expectations, with a similar matchup to last year's (Astros-Phillies in 2022, Astros-Braves in 2021) and a similarly competitive series (both six games). The return of a 162-game season certainly helped the league and the MLB postseason brackets worked out almost perfectly. Plus, they all embrace the type of game this sport should become, where players are encouraged to have fun and let loose. Each national share point represented 3,117,000 homes in 2022 (each year the number changes: in 2003 it was 1,084,000; in 2002 it was 1,067,000; in 2001 it was 1,055,000; in 1999 it was 1,008,000). It was the largest LDS audience dating back to Game 4 2018 between the Yankees and Red Sox (7.15 million). The 2020 MLB World Series averaged 9.8 million viewers on FOX. MLB local ratings in Houston increased by 74% in 2020. This statistic is indicative of the growing popularity of MLB live game streaming on FOX Sports digital platforms. pic.twitter.com/TP3k20kZdZ. That number was roughly 1.19 million throughout the 2020 season. But key issues are preventing this game from growing. As of July 19, the saw a designated media area (DMA) TV household average for the league of 1,836,749 compared to the 60-game shortened 2020 season average of 1,804,540 a +2% increase. That game started at 8:30pm ET. MLB ratings are surviving the historic decline in run production for now, but the stats this season hint that might not last for long. Here were some of the highlights for the 2022 World Series: Games 1 and 2 in Houston were the most-watched telecasts on any network on the days they aired that weekend, with Game 1 drawing 11.48 million viewers on FOX on Friday, Oct. 28 and Game 2 drawing 10.79 million viewers on FOX on Saturday, Oct. 29. Game 3 of the San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets series generated nearly four million viewers (3,961,000), peaking with 4.73 million viewers from 8-8:15 p.m. The American League Championship Series (ALCS) averaged approximately 2.7 million viewers in 2020. The problem is, in nearly every instance these are a myth. Viewership is up 89% from the 2020 MLB playoffs and there is a 3% spike from the playoffs in 2019. If teams are limited to specific defensive positioning on the field and hitters are the only ones asked to change, the issue wont go away. It marked a 197% viewership increase from ALCS Game 1 in 2020, which went up against Sunday Night Football. 8 \n2004 -- No. With MLBs heavily criticized blackout rules, which prevent fans in several areas of the country from seeing multiple teams, this could be a way for viewership to increase next year. Fringe fans are the ones left on the outside when the games turn into slogs that move at the pace of cold molasses. The 2021 season has also sparked debate about issues on the field, namely the rising strikeout rate and the drop in batting average. TBS finished its season with 316,000 for Phillies-Astros on Tuesday night, a game that aired directly opposite Aaron Judge's record-setting 62nd home run on MLB Network (and YES Network in New York). Marketing To Sports Fans: Viewership & Demographics [Infographic] Making sense of the numbers is a bit of apples to apples, apples to oranges, and apples to apple pie comparisons. The Astros' historic combined no-hitter in Game 4 -- just the second no-hitter in World Series history -- drew 11.81 million viewers on the FOX broadcast alone, a huge gain over Game 4 in 2021 (+9%) and 2020 (+23%). NEW YORK - NBA viewership across TNT, ESPN and ABC through MLK Day (27 games) is up 34% vs. the comparable number of games during the 2019-20 season (2.0 million average viewers vs. 1.49 million . View detailed information and reviews for 20823 Beach Blvd in Huntington Beach, CA and get driving directions with road conditions and live traffic updates along the way. 2323 Huntington St, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 | realtor.com They can only buy the here and now. Well, not exactly. According to Sports Media Watch, Game 5 between the Dodgers and Giants averaged 6.5 million viewers for TBS. By cutting the number of games ESPN exclusively broadcasts in half, MLB can sell those matchups elsewhere. Indeed, the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds saw an average of nearly 36 million viewers over seven games. As league officials and teams prepared for a shortened 60-game season without fans, everyone knew it would come at a significant cost to annual revenue. The Dodgers have been the driving force behind the MLB ratings spike, according to SMW, with all 11 postseason games involving the Dodgers rankings among the 15 most-watched games of the postseason. If you are not in front of a big TV screen for Game 1, but you can watch it on your mobile device, that potentially makes you more likely to watch Game 2.". "Look, there just aren't that many -- as is demonstrated by the fact that [the World Series] beats every entertainment show -- there just aren't that many opportunities to reach 12 or 13 million people," Mulvihill said. MLS All-Star Game generated wildly different TV viewerships in English He credited the 2022 schedule change to starting the World Series on a Friday night as helping drive a younger audience to the Series, especially because of strong out-of-home viewership -- people watching at bars, restaurants, hotels, workplaces, etc., which the Nielsen ratings now measure.\n\n\"We felt like by starting on a Friday night, we had a potential to take advantage of that audience that is out enjoying their Friday night and maybe watching some sports at the same time,\" Mulvihill said. Because Bally Sports doesnt have agreements with YouTube TV, Sling TV and Dish, it loses out on a significant percentage of a potential audience. The NFL drew 17.79 million people to live games in 2016. Sinclair is reportedly exploring a direct-to-consumer launch for the 2022 MLB season, which would allow fans in their respective regions to purchase access to games for the regular season. Sportsnets broadcasts of Blue Jays games during the 2020 abbreviated season drew an average audience of 575,000 viewers. Theres little doubting that this article will need to resurface again next year. This effect is called fragmentation in the media industry, and it's made it difficult for content providers to not only draw viewers in but retain them. 1,079 Sq. The final MLB game of 2022 reached a peak audience of 14.73 million viewers during the game. With Ohtani leading off for the American League and starting on the mound, there was more interest in this years MLB All-Star Game. Our newsletter is packed with essential growth strategies for your business. 4 \n2015 -- No. 3 \n2014 -- No. How does MLB viewership compare to other professional sports leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL? Because if nothing is done, networks will begin to realize broadcasting MLB games isnt worth the price when baseball cant build a relationship with its future audience nor produce an entertaining game. Ft. condos home built in 1978 that was last sold on 06/11/2020. Major League Baseball couldnt ask for much more from its American League and National League brackets for the MLB postseason. We are up double-digits across all of baseball with advertisers. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images), that has been denounced by the National Congress of American Indians. FOX's World Series TV viewership in 2022 was comparable to last year's Fall Classic (11.94 million) and cemented the gains made from the 2020 season (9.95 million). It shows that despite the challenges of the 2020 season, viewers were still eager to tune in and watch the action. When the Padres faced the Dodgers in April, 2.01 million people tuned in to watch a potential playoff matchup. FOXs broadcast averaged a 5.8 rating with 10.28 million viewers across all platforms. Now, traditional linear television on cable or satellite can see thousands of channels, and there are now streaming channels and video game options that were never in place at the time of the lofty 1970s and 80s numbers. So, baseball is dying, right? Fox has been MLBs primary broadcast partner since 1996. With the Atlanta Braves leading the series 3-1, an even bigger audience tuned in for the potential deciding game. The limited channel options drove everyone to three sources of television content. It greatly surpassed Game 6 from the 2020 World Series (10.06 million viewers) and beat out the 2019 World Series (11.39 million). Nearby homes similar to 2323 Huntington St #807 have recently sold between $720K to $1M at an average of $600 per square foot. The positive results showed immediately, per SportsMediaWatch, with ALCS Game 1 posting a 3.4 rating and averaging 6.14 million viewers to FOX. 3 \n2010 -- No. After a thrilling fight to the finish during the regular season, MLB got what it wanted. ESPN and Major League Baseball signed a new extension in May, with the network exclusively broadcasting 30 regular-season games per year through 2028. MLB season up on ESPN, TBS; FOX down but finishes strong 11 \n2006 -- No. Major League Soccer viewership is up, now it needs networks to - CNBC 12 \n2009 -- No. ","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"ExternalEmbed","data":{"__typename":"ExternalEmbedContent","html":", The @Phillies stunning comeback victory over the Astros in Game 1 of the #WorldSeries scores year-to-year viewership increases for @MLBONFOX pic.twitter.com/eRze5VteK6, The 2022 #WorldSeries has generated TV and social media gains through the first three games compared to 2021. pic.twitter.com/SoYegQr4ag, Legendary #WorldSeries Game 4 on FOX between the Astros and Phillies checks in as the most-streamed #WorldSeries Game 4 in @FOXSports history with an average minute audience of 247,741up 50% vs. 2021. The amount of minutes fans watched of MLB.TV rose 12% from this past season and 43% from 2019. (Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images). Bally Sports, which is owned by Diamond Sports Group, a partnership between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Byron Allens Entertainment Studios, has been unable to reach distribution with OTT providers such as Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Dish, a key factor in some of the drop. The current TV rights package with ESPN, Fox and Univision is valued at a combined $720m over eight years with the deal up for renegotiation in 2022. Game 3 in Philadelphia, when Bryce Harper's home run sparked the Phillies to a win in their first home game of the series, was also the most-watched telecast of the day on any network (11.16 million viewers) -- and was the best-rated MLB game in Philadelphia since the 2010 Phillies-Giants NLCS. In an effort to maximize MLB ratings, it could broadcast one game on Fox for the networks Saturday broadcast and then play a second game on ESPNs Sunday Night Baseball. 2000 -- No. It was the most-watched baseball game on ESPN since 1998, per Nielsen, and the. Running the Break: How does MLB address its declining popularity? The MLB viewership increased by +4.1% in 2018 but decreased by -1.1% in 2019. It would likely require a Game 7 to match or surpass the average 2019 numbers (below). Sure enough, per Fox Sports executive vice president Michael Mulvihill, the unforgettable moment delivered. The AT&T SportsNet family is flat compared to 2020 while running -3% against 2019. Despite Myths Baseball Is 'Dying,' Here's Why MLB Is - Forbes While the audience size is larger than 2020, that was to be expected. The five-game set between San Francisco and Los Angeles delivered the five best ratings for MLB, blowing past marks from 2019 and 2020. The 2020 World Series Game 3s record-low viewership of 8.16 million viewers is a telling statistic when it comes to MLB viewership statistics. Television broadcasting rights and contracts play a significant role in MLB viewership, as they determine which networks carry the games and the quality of the broadcast. By comparison, "The Equalizer" on CBS -- the top-rated primetime entertainment TV show -- was averaging 7.07 million viewers per episode for the 2022 fall season at the time the World Series ended. MLB Seeing Local TV Households Decline Dramatically Compared - Forbes 42015 -- No. What Is SEO Positioning, And Why Should You Start Using It? But its also clear, with cord-cutting increasingly popular and other sports gaining more attention than baseball, that the years of MLB TV ratings dominating are long gone. SEO Marketing: Importance, Definition And How To Do It, The Importance Of SEO In Advertising Strategies, What Is Local SEO: Definition And Importance. James Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, ESPN+ to Stream 31 Major League Baseball Games in May, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians on ESPN Game 1, Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals on ABC Game 1, Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays on ESPN Game 1, San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets on ESPN Game 1, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians on ESPN2 Game 2, Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays on ESPN Game 2, San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets on ESPN Game 2, Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals on ESPN2 Game 2, San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets Game 3. It is a sign that MLB is expanding its reach and gaining more fans from around the world. And baseball certainly isnt dying.. However, things are looking up in 2021.. During the All-Star Break, MLB announced that ratings for Sunday Night Baseball are up 26% compared to the 2020 MLB season. Modern technology, allowing pitchers to fine-tune their mechanics and spin rate, has made hitting a baseball harder than ever. With all of that in mind, lets examine the MLB ratings from the 2021 season and the playoffs thus far. Myths need more myth-busting. 8 Tips For Running A Successful Leadership Meeting, Agile Meetings: The Definitive Guide To Effective Meetings, The Ultimate Guide For Recurring Meetings (2023), How To Reduce Work Meetings: Tips For Fewer Meetings, Too Many Meetings: How To Be More Efficient As A Team, FeaturedAI Replacing Jobs Statistics (2023). According to Statista, home games for the Dallas Cowboys were the MOST attended games in 2016 with a total of 740,318 spectators passing through the gates at an average of 92,539 fans per game. Its why Im a baseball fan and kids arent into baseball because they have to go to bed earlier.. Whereas fans in the 1980s and even the early 1990s would tune in to national games to see teams they might not otherwise get to, once the RSNs began to air almost the entire slate of games for each team, fans moved over to those channels. They dont. The 2020 MLB World Series averaged 9.8 million viewers on FOX. 2 Beds. Back to all those older baseball fans that bemoan the late start times on the East Coast, and long for games in the 80s and 90s when games were played earlier, its a myth. Sometimes, start times are done to avoid conflicts with other sports programming (an example would be not going up against college football on Saturday). MLB seeing record-high streaming viewership despite All-Star Game backlash 3 \n_2016 -- No. One important trend, per SportsMediaWatch, MLB ratings for the Home Run Derby have been higher than the All-Star Game in three of the past four years among the 18-49 demographic. While commissioner Rob Manfred didnt reveal which teams would play, Chicago Cubs skipper David Ross already let it slip that his team would be taking part. There are small positives for baseball, largely tied into the growth of streaming. After sitting at 52 in 2000. And without the White Sox dramatic increase, decline for the league compared to 2019 would assuredly be lower still. FeaturedChatGPT Statistics & Facts in 2023, FeaturedStatistics about Fast Fashion in 2023, FeaturedStatistics & Facts About Technology Addiction, FeaturedLearn Everything About Retention Marketing, What Is A Marketing Campaign: Definition & The Best Practices, Account-Based Marketing: Past, Present & Future, Responsibility vs. Each year around the World Series there are countless conversations around TV viewership numbers and late start times that have a throng shouting that the game is too old. This statistic is a testament to the enduring popularity of the MLB World Series. (Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images). It shows that the team still has a dedicated fan base that is eager to watch their games, no matter the circumstances. Average viewership had peaked at 17.9 million per game, ad revenue had also peaked at $3.8 billion dollars, and daily fantasy sports games from FanDuel and DraftKings were all the rage. This statistic is a reminder that baseball is still a beloved pastime, and that MLB viewership statistics remain strong. In recent years, MLB teams have regularly averaged about 100,000 viewers for their games on RSNs, including an average viewership of 96,000 for MLB games in 2022. A "share" is the percentage watching a program among those households with televisions on at the time. "But some of those high-rated World Series of the past didn't beat everything that was on in entertainment programming. 2019s most-watched MLB game on ESPN reached a viewership of 2.442 million. As the broadcasting fee skyrockets, World Series ratings are dropping. 1 (Cubs vs. Guardians)2017 -- No. It is considered one of the most. The seven-year deal begins in 2022 and grants ESPN exclusive rights to broadcast any expansion to the MLB Wild Card round. Mailgun vs Sendgrid: Which one is better? Its a myth to say that the networks are unhappy with the World Series as content. With the match-up being the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves, you wind up with a southern regional affair. "The percentage of our World Series viewership that's coming from streaming is small, but it's growing, and we want to make sure that the content is available to people in any setting," Mulvihill said. In multiple conversations with network executives over the years, the one thing they repeatedly say is that television windows are designed to reach the maximum audience. This figure serves as a stark reminder of the impact the pandemic has had on the sport, and how it has affected the viewership of the game. After all, youre invested and locked into the game after purchasing your ticket. 32016 -- No. Extreme defensive shifts and hitters focusing on power, which MLB contracts incentivize, arent the leagues biggest problem. Unreal engine vs Unity: Which one is better? Of course, it isnt. League Championship Series matchups between the Atlanta Braves-Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox-Houston Astros proved fruitful for MLB and its broadcast partners. This is largely due to the increased number of pitchers being used. Not all the myths are here to paint some wholly rosy picture of Major League Baseball. Those RSNs were the former FOX Sports networks that Disney MLB's three national TV partners registered viewership increases during the 2019 season. Through the first two weeks of the telecast, an average of 1.58 million viewers are tuning into the Sunday Night game. 12.87 million viewers tuned in across FOX's platforms to watch the Astros' World Series-clinching victory in Game 6. Even before the numbers came in, MLB announced that two teams would return to Dyersville, Iowa in 2022. Thanks to the Los Angeles market, NLCS Game 4 (5.37 million) and Game 5 (5.1 million) pulled in huge numbers. It marked an improvement on the all-time low (10.3 million, 2.7 rating) for the final game in the 2020 World Series. 1 (Astros vs. Phillies)_**","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2022-11-06T02:14:29.645Z","description":"Yordan Alvarez demolishes a three-run home run over the batter's eye in center field, putting the Astros on top, 3-1, in the 6th inning","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:02:01","mp4AvcPlayback":"https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2022/2022-11/05/f198e664-56bb2bf7-6dd7c0b3-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","slug":"yordan-alvarez-homers-3-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-jose-altuve-scores","tags":[{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"season-2022","title":"Season 2022"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"gamepk-715719","title":"2022/11/05 phi@hou"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"playerid-670541","title":"Yordan Alvarez"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"teamid-117","title":"Houston Astros"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hitting","title":"hitting"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"in-game-highlight","title":"in-game highlight"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"apple-news","title":"Apple News"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"home-run","title":"home run"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"world-series","title":"World Series"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"postseason","title":"postseason"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"send-to-news-mlb-feed","title":"Send To News MLB feed"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"imagen-feed","title":"Imagen feed"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"eclat-feed","title":"Eclat feed"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"international-feed","title":"International Partner feed"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"alexa","title":"alexa"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"classic","title":"classic"}],"templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/zptstdwybcw75tszrqjh","title":"Yordan Alvarez's three-run homer","type":"video","url":"/video/yordan-alvarez-homers-3-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-jose-altuve-scores"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Before the current seven-year run, the last time the World Series was the No. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"It's the seventh straight year the World Series takes the top spot in viewership when ranked against the top primetime TV shows.\n\nThe trend started in 2016, with the instant-classic seven-game World Series between the Cubs and Guardians, when the Cubs won their first championship in 108 years.\n\n\"We sometimes make the mistake of just comparing absolute ratings to what they were 20 or 30 years ago when the business was really different,\" Mulvihill said. There are some things to be concerned about. All 30 MLB teams were in action, and on average, they took two hours and 36 minutes to go about their baseball business, exactly in line with the full-season standard for nine-inning games in 2023 . Moving forward, there is some hope in that regard for baseball. Falling attendance, poor World Series ratings. That certainly explains part of why ESPN has decided to only show Sunday Night Baseball exclusively beginning in 2022 while forgoing mid-week games that are non-exclusive. Its not reaching young kids. Viewership is dependent on the variety of options fans have to choose from and the specific matchup being featured. It shows that despite the challenges of the 2020 season, viewers were still eager to tune in and watch the action. The reason the comparison is so relevant is that it's a comparison of what marketers can actually buy right now. 92003 -- No. This works out at $90m a season, meaning MLS. The Atlanta Braves Game 6 victory over the Houston Astros, ending the 2021 World Series and bringing the title back to Atlanta for the first time in decades, averaged 11.76 million viewers on FOX.