The “Big Data” era of Major League Baseball on NBC is off to a flying start. Last Thursday’s Opening Day clash between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers delivered a massive 3.2 million viewers across Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, signaling a triumphant return for the network after decades away from the diamond.
Historical Ratings Surge
The Dodgers’ victory wasn’t just a win on the field; it was a massive win for NBC’s new rights deal. The broadcast saw an 88% increase over last year’s ESPN Opening Day game. Highlights include:
- Most-watched Opening Day game since the anomalous 2020 season.
- Largest non-pandemic audience for an opener since 2017.
- Record-breaking matinee: Earlier in the day, Pirates-Mets drew 2.3 million viewers, the highest ever for an Opening Day afternoon broadcast.
NBC Dominates the “Big Three” Openers
With this success, NBC has completed a rare trifecta. The network now holds the rights to, and has seen massive growth for, the Opening Night/Day broadcasts of the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
The MLB gains mirror the network’s NBA Opening Night success last October, which saw a 90% viewership jump compared to previous broadcasts on TNT. Despite airing directly opposite the NCAA Sweet 16 tournament, baseball fans flocked to NBC in numbers that exceeded every single regular-season MLB game from the previous year.
Technical Context
It is worth noting that Nielsen’s new methodology—which now incorporates “Big Data” from smart TVs and set-top boxes—generally boosts modern figures compared to past years. However, even with that advantage, the 2.7 million average across NBC’s Opening Day doubleheader stands as the highest on record for any network carrying multiple games.
Waiting on Netflix
While NBC celebrates, the industry is closely watching for numbers from MLB Opening Night (Yankees vs. Giants), which aired on Netflix. Those figures are expected to be released Tuesday and will provide a key comparison between traditional broadcast power and the new streaming frontier.