The Toronto Blue Jays’ sizzling 21-6 August – the winningest month in team history – not only vaulted the team into first place in the American League East, it has translated into huge ratings for broadcast partner Sportsnet.
The Rogers-owned specialty channel delivered a record 6.8 audience share and an average minute audience of 266,000 last month. It was also Canada’s top-rated specialty channel and the third most-watched channel among both conventional and specialty networks.
Blue Jays telecasts averaged 1.29 million viewers 2+ – a 112% increase over last year (609,000) – with 23 broadcasts surpassing the one million-viewer mark. To date, 26 Blue Jays telecasts have surpassed one million viewers.
The recap show Jays in 30, a condensed replay of previous game broadcasts, attracted an average of 137,000 viewers, a 213% increase over last year, while the pre-game show Blue Jays Central delivered an average audience of 422,000, a 139% increase.
The channel is averaging 793,000 viewers for Blue Jays broadcasts this year, a 36% increase over 2014.
The team’s success has also extended to Sportsnet’s Major League Baseball broadcasts, which are up 94% over last year with an average audience of 189,000. The new Tim & Sid show, meanwhile, saw ratings increase 18% in its second month on the air, while the prime time edition of Sportsnet Central delivered an average audience of 278,000.
Marketing and MarketingMag.ca are also owned by Rogers.
