The Red Sox have been much better to watch this season than last year’s dismal fan-less campaign. As a result, TV ratings are up huge.
NESN’s Red Sox ratings are up 74% in the coveted 25-54 year-old demo from 2020, according to a source. The number is also 15% larger than 2019.
That makes sense, too, considering the 2019 club underachieved in distasteful fashion. The most memorable story to emerge from that disappointing summer was David Price’s airplane outburst against Dennis Eckersley.
Without exact ratings figures, it’s to compare how this season stacks up against 2018. The Red Sox drew a 7.26 rating on NESN, up 26% over the previous year.
The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 games and steamrolled their way to a World Series title. As surprising as this year’s team was, that’s not an apt comparison.
It’s also important to keep in mind the cable TV audience continues to dwindle. An astounding 50.4 million people are projected to have cut the cord by the end of this year, up from 15.6 million in 2014.
COVID accelerated that trend, to say the least.
But even though the audience is smaller, the increase among adults aged 25-54 years old is significant. It shows that younger people will still watch a winning baseball team.
The Red Sox just have to field an enjoyable product.
