The Toronto Blue Jays’ best first half since 1992 has translated into ratings success for Sportsnet, with telecasts averaging 825,000 viewers 2+, according to Numeris numbers.
That represents a 51% increase from 545,000 at the same time last year. So far, 45% of the Canadian population has watched a regular season game on the Rogers Media sports specialty channel.
June was a particularly hot month, with Sportsnet delivering a 5.9 audience share and an average audience of 216,000, a 29% increase from 2015. It was the country’s leading specialty channel in June and the third most-watched of all Canadian networks – conventional and specialty – during the month.
Thirty broadcasts have already surpassed 1 million viewers this year, compared to just two at the same time last year, with the July 4-6 rematch with the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals attracting an average of 1.29 million viewers.
The Jays’ success has had a spill-over effect on other Sportsnet programming, with audiences for Tim & Sid up 40% from May to June and the prime time edition of sports highlight show Sportsnet Central delivering an average audience of 175,000 in June, a 10% year-over-year increase. Ratings for the show’s morning edition are up 38% year-over-year, while the overnight edition is up 8%.
Ratings for non Blue Jays games on the network are up 17% year-over-year, attracting an average audience of 102,000.
The ratings success has also carried over to Sportsnet 590 The Fan, where ratings are up 86% for the adult 25-54 demo and 32% for the male 25-54 demo through the first 77 games.
The Jays have won eight of their past 10 entering Tuesday’s All-Star Game, and currently sit third in the American League East division with a 51-40 record despite playing without slugger José Bautista since June 16, when he crashed into the outfield wall in Philadelphia.
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