Major League Baseball is riding the high tide of popularity, and television ratings and ballpark attendance in the game are at the highest point in years. The MLB.TV opening day was met by complaints, but the league proved that it could surpass the audience's expectations.
National broadcasts on the regular season in 2025 reported substantial year-to-year increases, the league announced Monday in a release. Rule changes, superstar play, and increased scheduling were the drivers.
Record-Breaking Baseball Viewership
MLB's three major national TV partners all reported audience growth this season. ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, which has been a cornerstone of coverage for nearly four decades, jumped 21 percent in viewership, averaging 1.8 million fans per game, the program's best performance since 2012. The series will move to NBC next season, which is projected to improve viewership.
Fox also experienced a nine percent rise, averaging 2.04 million viewers per game. TBS enjoyed the most year-over-year increase with a 29 percent boost and averaged 462,000 viewers.
It's important to note that the rating increase came with Nielsen's revised methodology, which takes into account viewing from a broader scope of contemporary devices. As this adjustment boosted viewing figures for sports overall, MLB credits much of its gain to in-game adjustments and interesting narrative lines.
How Rule Changes Enhanced the Game
The pitch clock has revolutionized the game's pace. In 2025, the average MLB game was only two hours and 38 minutes, the third consecutive season below the 2:40 benchmark. This has not been seen since 1983–85. To put it in perspective, there were just three nine-inning games longer than 3:30 this year, down from 391 in 2021, per The Athletic.
Quicker games are retaining viewers, both at stadiums and on TV, enabling baseball to stay competitive with other sports in entertainment appeal.
MLB Star Players Contribute to Viewership Increase
Star power fuels baseball, and 2025 saw stellar play that captivated the country. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh's 60th home run was the first in franchise history. Even his home run ball, used to achieve the feat, could sell up to $200,000.
Some of the recent star player highlights include Shohei Ohtani's 50 home runs, Aaron Judge's first American League batting title, and Paul Skenes's impressive 1.97 ERA. Skenes is the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden in 1985 to have a sub-2.00 ERA at 23 years old.
Attendance Increase and Schedule Shifts
MLB attendance increased for the third straight season to 71,409,421 tickets sold. The league last recorded a three-year increase streak almost two decades ago (2005–07).
The balanced schedule, implemented in 2022, also fueled fan interest by making each team play every other team each year. Superstar showdowns such as Yankees vs. Dodgers now take place every year, providing more games that fans must see.
Major League Baseball Can't Avoid Controversies
Despite its own good momentum, MLB has troubles. The Cleveland Guardians are still embroiled in a gaming scandal, fans have seen a surge in ticketing scams, and the MLB Speedway Classic suffered operational hiccups. Beyond that, worry about a possible lockout casts a shadow as talks with the players' union heat up.
Originally published on sportsworldnews.com
