Why the MLB Speedway Classic Fell Flat: A Deep Dive into Disappointing Ratings

Major League Baseball recently took a detour to Bristol Motor Speedway, and it wasn’t without its hiccups. The highly anticipated Braves-Reds game ended up being delayed due to rain, which reduced its audience.

The event averaged about 1.6 million viewers over Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, according to FOX. Unfortunately, the game saw a rain delay of more than two hours on Saturday, leading to a shift to Sunday. During the rain delay, viewers peaked at 1.8 million, while the live game itself, which lasted just 50 minutes, drew a peak of 2.4 million.

To put this in perspective, the previous Saturday’s MLB broadcasts averaged 2.02 million viewers. This drop in numbers puts the Speedway Classic lower in the rankings compared to other recent MLB special events. For instance, last year’s Giants-Cardinals tribute game averaged 2.35 million, while the recent “Field of Dreams” games had thrilling averages of 5.9 million in 2021 and 3.1 million in 2022.

Interestingly, the Speedway Classic didn’t even claim the title of the top MLB telecast over the weekend. That honor belonged to ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball featuring the Tigers and Phillies, which saw 2.03 million viewers—an impressive 72% increase from last year’s similar matchup during the Olympics.

Baseball’s Sunday night games are now averaging 1.68 million, up 7% from last year, marking the highest average since 2017. This shows that while rain might delay a game, it can’t dull the excitement around America’s pastime.

As more people tune into live sports, the conversation around baseball continues to grow. According to a recent survey, 60% of fans expressed that special events, like the Speedway Classic, add a unique element to the game—often sparking discussions across social media.

It seems that while challenges occur—like delays or shifting schedules—the fascination with baseball remains strong, showing a robust future ahead for the sport.



Source link

Braves TV Ratings,MLB on ESPN,MLB on Fox Sports,MLB Ratings,Phillies TV Ratings,Reds TV Ratings,Sunday Night Baseball,Tigers TV Ratings