The regular season is over. All of the battles are over before the post season begins. The National League playoffs are set as the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers have made it to the dance. In the American League, the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are in.
For the others, the rosin bag is still behind the mound with a noiseless, dark field of potential dreams. No more balls being thrown. No more bats smacking the ball. No more fielding plays. No more hawkers hawking. Just quiet until April of 2016. It will be a long winter for these fans.
But it has been both an exciting season and for many, a disappointing marathon. But in the game of television, the season was huge. On average, on any given game day, 6,853,500 viewers watch their favorite time on local television. That accounts for approximately 1.110 billion viewers during the 162 game schedule during the summer. Toronto drew 1.43 million for a single game on local television this season.
Local teams were testament to the changing landscape of television as the ‘live’ aspect is like flies attracted to the bright light and glow of the tube, or more correctly today, digital pixels which bring the world of baseball to fans on a constant basis from April through the end of the season, some 162 games later.
This year you can see who won the television battle.
TEAM RTG CABLE PROVIDER (est viewership)
Toronto Blue Jays* (684,000 viewers) Rodgers 1.43 million top game
Kansas City Royals 12.69 (118,000 homes) FSKC (295,000)
St. Louis Cardinals 10.17 (125,000 homes) FSMidwest (312,500)
Detroit Tigers 7.68 (141,000 homes) FSDetroit (352,500)
Pittsburgh Pirates 7.61 ( 90,000 homes) Root Sports Pittsburgh (225,000)
Seattle Mariners 6.29 (114,000 homes) Root Sports NW (285,000)
Boston Red Sox 5.98 (146,000 homes) NESN (365,000)
Baltimore Orioles 5.71 ( 62,000 homes) MASN (155,000)
Cincinnati Reds 5.27 ( 46,000 homes) FS Ohio (115,000)
San Diego Padres 4.86 ( 51,000 homes) FS San Diego (127,500)
San Francisco Giants 4.86 (120,000 homes) CSN Bay Area (300,000)
Milwaukee Brewers 4.48 ( 40,000 homes) FS Wisconsin
Tampa Rays 4.29 ( 78,000 homes) Sun Sports (195,000)
Cleveland Indians 4.29 ( 63,000 homes) SportsTime Ohio (157,500)
Arizona D’Backs 4.24 ( 78,000 homes) FS Arizona (195,000)
Minnesota Twins 4.21 ( 74,000 homes) FS North (185,000)
Chicago Cubs 3.12 (111,000 homes) CSN Chicago (277,500)
Philadelphia Phillies 2.89 ( 85,000 homes) CSN Philly (212,500)
Texas Rangers 2.79 ( 73,000 homes) FS SW (182,500)
Washington Nat’s 2.78 ( 67,000 homes) MASN (167,500)
New York Yankees 2.77 (206,000 homes) YES Network (515,000)
Colorado Rockies 2.49 ( 39,000 homes) Root Sports Rocky Mountain (97,500)
New York Mets 2.43 (180,000 homes) SNY (450,000)
Atlanta Braves 2.30 ( 54,000 homes) FSSouth/SportSouth (135,000)
Miami Marlins 1.99 ( 33,000 homes) FS Florida (82,500)
Houston Astros 1.85 ( 42,000 homes) Root Sports Southwest (105,000)
Los Angeles Angels 1.52 ( 84,000 homes) FS West (210,000)
Oakland A’s 1.15 ( 29,000 homes) CSN California (72,500)
Chicago White Sox 0.82 ( 28,000 homes) CSN Chicago (70,000)
Los Angeles Dodgers 0.81( 45,000 homes) SportsNet LA (112,500)
6,853,500 MLB viewers/day on local television
* Canada measures in viewers, not in HH (households) or homes.
On an average summer evening, nearly 7 million is collectively a big audience. It is also the wand which magically weaves millions to billions of dollars to individual teams each year.
But for those 20 teams that did not make the dance, The Show has ended for this season.
But on Tuesday, for one of the 10 remaining teams in the big dance, there will be the magic of a World Series Championship.
Play Ball!
A friend of mine produced this great tribute to baseball on TV. Until next season for so many of us whose team is no longer in the dance, …
overtheshouldermlb 