Final Ratings: MLB Network Has Strong August As Pennant Races Heat Up

MLB Network averaged 221,000 viewers in primetime during the month of August, marking the net’s third-best audience ever. The net also saw two of its top 10 best game audiences this season during that period, with the Aug. 1 Cardinals-Pirates game and Aug. 9 Tigers-Yankees matchup each averaging 355,000 viewers (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor)….Comcast SportsNet Houston drew a 0.1 local rating for the Twins-Astros game on Wednesday afternoon, the same rating the RSN earned for the MLS Dynamo-Crew match later that night (CHRON.com, 9/5)…. FS Ohio earned a 13.5 local rating in Cincinnati for the 16-inning Cardinals-Reds game on Wednesday night, marking "an all-time record for non-Opening Day viewership." The previous high was a 13.2 rating for a game against the Cardinals on Sept. 3, 2010 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/5).

NOTES: Oklahoma City-based KOCO-ABC earned a 21.8 local rating last Saturday for Oklahoma State-Mississippi State, which “blew away” the 5.5 rating on FS Southwest for OSU’s first game last season again Louisiana-Lafayette. Only two OSU games last season were higher than the 21.8 rating (NEWSOK.com, 9/3)…. Houston-based KTRK-ABC averaged 634,000 viewers for the Cowboys-Texans preseason game on Aug. 29, marking the "most-watched show in prime time during the week" in the market. However, in Dallas-Ft. Worth, the No.1 show of the week was A&E’s "Duck Dynasty" with 406,000 viewers. The Cowboys game was second at 363,000 viewers (CHRON.com, 9/4).

The chart below lists final Nielsen ratings from recent sports telecasts. Figures for broadcast TV were delayed due to the Labor Day holiday.