MLB Network saw significant viewership increases in 2025, including network studio shows.
MLB Network
MLB Network, the league-owned network of Major League Baseball, saw significant viewership increases in 2025, continuing a positive trend that included other national, local, and streaming broadcasts for the season.
MLB Network’s “Showcase” games, which feature one game a week produced by MLBN, averaged 256,000 viewers, a +12% increase over 2024.
All out-of-market games on MLB Network, which included afternoon, primetime and late-night games, averaged 232,000 viewers, a +22% increase over 2024, and marked its best since 2018.
Live out-of-market games on MLB Network games in July averaged 273,000 viewers, marking the best for any regular season month since August 2015 for the network.
In a key growth area, out-of-market games experienced significant growth among younger age demographics. In the age 17 and under age demographic, the audience grew by +66%. For the 18–34 demo, the audience grew by 19%.
Some key games that drew high numbers included the Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees out-of-market game on July 30, which averaged 758,000 viewers, the second-most-watched regular-season game in the network’s history. The most-watched late-night game ever on MLB Network was the Los Angeles Dodgers-Cincinnati Reds matchup on August 26th (10pm ET start time) that averaged 482,000 viewers. The most-watched Labor Day game ever for MLBN was on September 1st between the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies, which averaged 393,000 viewers.
“The ability for us to have consistency in our show lineup was very important to our success this regular season,’ said Marc Caiafa, MLB Network SVP of Production, to Forbes. “Marquee matchups and just overall momentum around the game really carried us.”
Other key moments included:
- MLB Tonight’s Trade Deadline Special on July 31st saw a +46% increase in viewership over 2024, averaging 268,000 viewers from 4 -7pm ET.
- The July 27th broadcast of the Hall of Fame induction that featured CC Sabathia, Ichiro, Billy Wagner, Dave Parker, and Dick Allen delivered MLBN’s most-watched Hall of Fame Induction telecast since 2019, peaking at 339,000 viewers and averaging 276,000 viewers.
- MLB Network’s Round One MLB Draft coverage saw a +40% increase in viewership over 2024, averaging 270,000 viewers
- MLB Network’s Futures Game saw a +22% increase in viewership over 2024, averaging 162,000 viewers.
- Several of MLB Network’s studio shows grew in average viewership, including MLB Central (+43%), MLB Now (+12%), Intentional Talk (+19%), MLB Tonight: National Pregame Show (+12%), Quick Pitch (+19%) and Big Inning (+17%).
MLB Sees Growth For Other Broadcasts
The growth of MLB Network follows other growth areas for Major League Baseball in 2025.
Even with the declining number of cable subscribers nationally, viewership for MLB games on regional sports networks increased marginally (+2%) for the season. MLB games continue to lead local viewership in the markets where games are played. In 17 of the 26 MLB markets in the U.S., primetime MLB games on RSNs ranked number #1 compared to primetime averages on all stations in the market. In 20 of the 26 MLB markets in the U.S., primetime MLB games on RSNs ranked number one compared to primetime averages on all cable stations in the market.
For streaming, MLB.TV set another consumption record this season with 19.39 billion minutes watched, an increase of +34% over last year—seven of the 10 most-watched games on MLB.TV has taken place this season, including the top game all-time, which was Padres vs. Dodgers on June 16th, which marked Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound, and the number two game, which was the Mets vs. Yankees Subway Series game on July 4th. In addition, nine of the 10 most-watched days ever on MLB.TV has taken place this season. The most-watched day ever was on July 29, which featured 16 games.
For mobile devices, the MLB App registered its most-trafficked season ever, with daily traffic increasing by +18% over 2024. The final three days of the 2025 Regular Season were the most-trafficked three-day period in the history of the MLB app.
National broadcasts on ESPN also saw significant increases. For the 30 broadcasts over the course of the 2025 season, the Worldwide Leader in Sports saw viewership up +21% over last year, averaging 1.8 million viewers.
Internationally, NHK in Japan recorded its highest-ever regular season viewership, with an average audience of 2.65 million viewers, a 20% increase over last season. This year marks the fifth consecutive season that NHK has recorded a viewership gain, dating back to 2021.
