ESPN’s Presentation of the ‘2024 MLB Wild Card Series’ Draws Record Viewership
While the future of ESPN may very well be on streaming, the Worldwide Leader in Sports continues to carry the cable ecosystem on its back.
In an ever-changing media landscape, ESPN has proven time and again that there is still an audience for live sports, whether on traditional cable, streaming, or a mixture of the two.
Since late 2023, ESPN has generated record-breaking viewership numbers with its presentations of Monday Night Football, NCAA football, and women’s college basketball. Then, in September, the network announced that its 2024 presentation of Sunday Night Baseball was the most viewed season in five years.
Photo: ESPN
Now, with the kickoff of the 2024 MLB Playoffs, ESPN has continued to deliver strong baseball ratings.
A Record-Breaking MLB Wild Card Series
In fact, the 2024 MLB Wild Card Series was the most-watched ever, according to Nielsen. The nine games aired across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN, averaging 2,823,000 viewers. That number was an increase of 25 percent from last year and up over 2022 and 2020.
Photo: ESPN
Thursday night’s Game 3 between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers, which saw the former win in thrilling fashion, averaged 4,017,000 viewers. The game peaked with an audience of 5,745,00 at 9:45 PM ET. Those numbers made it ESPN’s most-watched game since the 2021 American League Wild Card Game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
ESPN’s Streaming Era Is Coming
With ESPN Flagship set to launch next year and Venu Sports still theoretically on the way, the future of live sports will be in streaming.
ESPN
Going forward, the network must find a way to make its cable and streaming offerings complimentary to ensure the future of The Worldwide Leader in Sports. Luckily, ESPN has proven time and time again this year that live sports continue to draw audiences.
Photo: ESPN
