Jackson Holliday’s MLB debut on Wednesday, a 7-5 Baltimore Orioles win over the Boston Red Sox, delivered a strong audience for MLB Network.
Without airing in the Baltimore or Boston markets, the game averaged 626,000 viewers. That’s good for the second-most-watched regular season game in the network’s 15-year history, only surpassed by Derek Jeter’s final home game with the New York Yankees in 2014.
Who's up? Jackson Holliday!
The future Hall of Famer's debut with the Orioles last night was the second most-watched regular season game ever on MLB Network with 626K viewers.
That's an out of market number; the game was not available locally.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) April 11, 2024
Two weeks into the season, overall viewership on MLB Network is soaring. Live game coverage is up 18% from the 2023 season, while studio shows MLB Central (16%), High Heat (71%), MLB Now (57%), Intentional Talk (24%), and MLB Tonight in the 6 p.m. ET window (37%) are all up double digits.
Friday is also the 15th anniversary of Quick Pitch’s debut. MLB Network tweeted a video of various hosts opening the nightly recap show over the last decade and a half, with plenty of blasts from the past.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the debut of #QuickPitch! Thank you to all who continue to enjoy @MLBNetwork's signature recap program. Catch it tonight after the games! pic.twitter.com/XSSXa00qeA
— MLB Network PR (@MLBNetworkPR) April 12, 2024
MLB Network’s schedule of live games continues this weekend, and on Monday, MLB Tonight: Clubhouse Edition makes its season debut. The Jackie Robinson Day broadcast on April 15 will feature the Houston Astros hosting the Atlanta Braves at 8 p.m. ET. CC Sabathia returns as the host of MLB Tonight: Clubhouse Edition, joined by Chris Young, Siera Santos, and Adam Jones.
“The Clubhouse games have been a great way for me to stay involved in baseball, especially since I don’t have to wear a suit,” said Sabathia. “Giving the fans and players a different experience to watch a game is another important way to grow our sport. The conversation can go in any direction, which makes it fun. And for the first one of 2024 to be on Jackie Robinson Day is perfect.”
The Clubhouse Edition broadcast will also unveil the rosters for the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum’sum’s Hall of Fame East-West Classic: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game, taking place on May 25 in Cooperstown, New York.
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.