The abbreviated MLB on FOX schedule got off to a terrible start over the weekend.
Regional Major League Baseball coverage earned 1.8 million viewers on FOX Saturday night, down 19% from last year (2.3M), down 30% from 2012 (2.6M), and likely the smallest audience ever for primetime baseball on broadcast TV.
Last year’s MLB on FOX debut, an afternoon window on April 6, earned 2.9 million viewers.
Saturday’s telecast was easily topped by Game 3 of the Blackhawks/Kings NHL Western Conference Finals on NBC (2.4M) and Game 3 of the Pacers/Heat NBA Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN (6.8M).
The new MLB television contract, which went into effect this season, calls for just twelve telecast windows per season on the FOX broadcast network. Saturday’s telecast was the first of eight straight in primetime, with the four remaining FOX windows set for September.
(Sat. numbers from The Futon Critic)
The post MLB on FOX Scores Terrible Numbers in Primetime Debut appeared first on Sports Media Watch.
