The Kansas City Royals currently hold third place in the AL Central division, while the St. Louis Cardinals are second in the NL Central. Both teams are eight games out of first place (though the Cards are only two games away from a wild-card postseason bid).
Yet both of MLB’s Missouri teams hold the top two spots in local game broadcasts so far this season. According to Sports Business Journal’s David Broughton and John Ourand, Kansas City and St. Louis had the highest average ratings for their regional telecasts at the All-Star Break.
The Royals have drawn a 12.23 average rating for their game broadcasts on Fox Sports Kansas City, up two percent from this same point last year. Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ ratings on Fox Sports Midwest are down eight percent from last year’s midseason point, but their 8.03 mark is still good for the second-highest mark. Both Kansas City and St. Louis dominated local ratings among all MLB teams throughout last season as well.
According to SBJ’s review of ratings data, 15 of the 30 MLB teams have experienced increases in their local numbers. The Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs had the largest ratings jump on their respective regional networks, increasing by at least 45 percent. The Cubs’ 4.26 average rating on CSN Chicago is their best first-half mark since earning a 4.49 number in 2009.
As could be expected, MLB clubs that aren’t playing well are suffering in local ratings as well. The San Diego Padres have suffered a 37 percent drop in average rating on Fox Sports San Diego compared to last year, while the Atlanta Braves holding the worst record in baseball has resulted in a 34 percent average rating decrease on Fox Sports South. Altogether, seven teams — one of which is the New York Yankees — are experiencing their worst midseason ratings in nearly 10 years.
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