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 Not only did the Philadelphia Phillies win the attendance battle this past regular season, but based upon information from the SportsBusiness Journal, the Phillies saw the largest average audience increase and second highest average audience size for their local/regional television ratings this season. According to the SBJ:
The team ended the season with a 9.1 rating on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, edging out the second place St. Louis Cardinals (9.0) on FS Midwest. That difference shrank considerably during the season’s final week, as the Cardinals set RSN ratings records while outlasting the Atlanta Braves for a wild card slot on the season’s final day. The Phillies, meanwhile, were coasting into the playoffs.
The report adds that ratings have risen 11 percent and that it’s the ninth consecutive season of ratings increases. According to the SBJ, “During that period, Phillies ratings have grown a stunning 176 percent. The average 276,000 homes that watched each Phillies game was second only to the New York Yankees this season.”
Conversely, the Tampa Bay Rays on FS Florida/Sun Sports saw the largest audience drop of 40,000 households to 66,000. They saw the third largest ratings decline (-37.5% or a 3.67 rating) behind only the Padres and Astros, both of which had poor seasons in the standings (the Astros were a league worst 106 losses).
And, just as the Dodgers saw an incredible decline in attendance (over 600,000 compared to 2010), the club mired in controversy saw their average rating number drop over 30 percent (-30.1%) to a 1.14 on FS Prime Ticket.
SELECT READ MORE TO SEE LOCAL/REGIONAL RSN RATINGS INFORMATION
| AVG. RATING |
| Top 5 |
| Team |
RSN |
2011 rating (Change^) |
| Philadelphia |
CSN |
9.12 (+10.5%) |
| St. Louis |
FS Midwest |
9.00 (-4.5%) |
| Milwaukee |
FS Wisconsin |
7.95 (+59.0%) |
| Boston |
NESN |
7.80 (+31.1%) |
| Cincinnati |
FS Ohio |
7.44 (-0.5%) |
| Bottom 5 |
|
|
| Houston |
FS Houston |
1.51 (-40.3%) |
| Oakland |
CSN California
|
1.24 (+5.1%) |
| Washington |
MASN/MASN2 |
1.22 (-4.7%) |
| Los Angeles Angels |
FS West |
1.14 (-5.8%) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers |
FS Prime Ticket |
1.14 (-30.1%) |
| RATING CHANGE |
| Top 5 |
| Team |
RSN |
Change^ (2011 rating) |
| Cleveland |
SportsTime Ohio |
+108.9% (6.31) |
| Milwaukee |
FS Wisconsin |
+59.0% (7.95) |
| Pittsburgh |
Root Sports Pittsburgh |
+49.1% (4.89) |
| Kansas City |
FS Kansas City |
+31.4% (3.35) |
| Boston |
NESN |
+31.1% (7.80) |
| Bottom 5 |
|
|
| Minnesota |
FS North |
-28.3% (6.24) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers |
FS Prime Ticket |
-30.1% (1.14) |
| Tampa Bay |
FS Florida/Sun Sports |
-37.5% (3.67) |
| Houston |
FS Houston |
-40.3% (1.51) |
| San Diego |
Cox/SD 4 |
-41.4% (3.15) |
| AVG. AUDIENCE SIZE |
| Top 5 |
| Team |
RSN |
2011 No. of households (Change^) |
| New York Yankees |
YES |
319,000 (-5.3%) |
| Philadelphia |
CSN |
276,000 (+16.0%) |
| Boston |
NESN |
192,000 (+34.3%) |
| New York Mets |
SportsNet NY |
163,000 (-19.3%) |
| San Francisco |
CSN Bay Area |
127,000 (+23.3%) |
| Bottom 6 |
|
|
| Houston |
FS Houston |
33,000 (-38.9%) |
| Kansas City |
FS Kansas City |
33,000 (+37.5%) |
| Florida |
FS Florida |
32,000 (-25.6%) |
| Baltimore |
MASN/MASN2 |
31,000 (-6.1%) |
| Oakland |
CSN California |
31,000 (+3.3%) |
| Washington |
MASN/MASN2 |
29,000 (-3.3%) |
| AUDIENCE CHANGE |
| Top 5 |
| Team |
RSN |
Change^ (2011 No. of HOUSEHOLDs) |
| Cleveland |
SportsTime Ohio |
+50,000 (96,000) |
| Boston |
NESN |
+49,000 (192,000) |
| Philadelphia |
CSN |
+38,000 (276,000) |
| Milwaukee |
FS Wisconsin |
+27,000 (72,000) |
| San Francisco |
CSN Bay Area |
+24,000 (127,000) |
| Bottom 6 |
|
|
| Atlanta |
SportSouth |
-24,000 (74,000) |
| San Diego |
Cox/SD 4 |
-24,000 (34,000) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers |
FS Prime Ticket |
-27,000 (65,000) |
| New York Mets |
SportsNet NY |
-39,000 (163,000) |
| Tampa Bay |
FS Florida/Sun Sports |
-40,000 (66,000) |
| Minnesota |
FS North |
-43,000 (109,000) |
Source: SportsBusiness Journal
 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, and is a contributor to Forbes SportsMoney blog.. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).
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