MLB had, well, a few “Opening Day” events this season, but fans were finding telecasts across a number of outlets. As Fox Sports’ Mike Mulvihill noted, the total viewing story for MLB’s opening week is going to be “incredibly strong” after three national broadcast TV windows and a Netflix game vs. just one broadcast window last year. “Momentum behind MLB right now is the best it’s been in a very long time,” he wrote.
Netflix is still trying to figure out its numbers with Nielsen, so nothing to report there yet.
But traditional Opening Day on Thursday was a success for baseball’s return to NBC. D-backs-Dodgers in prime time on the broadcast network drew 3.2 million viewers, which is the best Opening Day prime-time game since 2020, when MLB started on ESPN in late July due to the pandemic, drawing a record 4 million viewers for a Yankees-Nationals game. Netflix may go higher than that, so stay tuned. Earlier in the day, NBC drew 2.3 million for Pirates-Mets, which is the best Opening Day afternoon game on record.
Over on MLB Network on Thursday, the combo of games and studio shows helped the league-owned channel to its second-best Opening Day in its 18-season history. Tigers-Padres drew 354,000 viewers, which was the network’s best Opening Day game yet (the game was blacked out in San Diego and Detroit).
This is also the first season with Big Data as a part of numbers, and the studio shows — like with football season — benefitted early on. “MLB Now,” the analytics-based show hosted by Brian Kenny, averaged 131,000 viewers in the 12pm ET window, marking its best Opening Day episode since launching in 2013. “MLB Central” drew 81,000 viewers, which is its best Opening Day show since launching in 2015. The late night “Quick Pitch” highlights show Thursday was up to 81,000 viewers, and that’s the best figure for the program since 2023.
Across the northern border, Rogers Sportsnet drew its best Blue Jays opener ever, as 2.15 million Canadians watched the game against the A’s.
