By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
While Major League Baseball attendance saw a four percent decrease due to facing “historically bad weather” in the spring — with a record 28 postponements and 102 games played in sub-50-degree temperatures in April — the league’s primetime ratings on regional sports networks saw a two percent increase, according to Forbes’ Maury Brown.
The ratings encompass Nielsen data for the 29 United States-based RSNs, hence excluding the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada. The data covers March 29 to Sept. 30, 2018. Therefore, the National League Central and West’s tiebreaker games are not represented.
Ratings for the Philadelphia Phillies’ regional sports network — NBC Sports Philadelphia — increased 23 percent in comparison to the 2017 season, from 2.91 to a 14th-best 3.58 among United States-based teams. Per Nielsen, one ratings point represents one percent of the total television households in the designated market area.
Brown writes:
“… Baseball continues to rank incredibly strong in the television ecosphere compared to other content in primetime during the spring and summer months. Twelve of the regional sports networks that host MLB teams rank #1 in their market in primetime, beating the primetime average of all other TV networks in their respective designated market areas (DMA). Half of those teams air on FOX Sports regional sports networks (Cardinals, Indians, Brewers, Royals, Yankees and Diamondbacks). An additional eight MLB teams (20 total) rank in the top 3 in primetime.”
NBC Sports Philadelphia was one of 14 of the regional sports networks to see an increase in MLB ratings from the 2017 season. The Atlanta Braves led the way with a 79 percent ratings increase on FOX Sports South, given their National League East division clinch and the quick, unexpected rise of young talent. The Manny Machado-less Baltimore Orioles, meanwhile, saw the biggest dip with a 56 percent decline on MASN.
Overall, baseball ranks first in primetime cable in every United States MLB market except Miami on the regional sports networks, per Brown, who notes the league continues to be a “sports property that will be coveted by advertisers,” due to its “massive inventory of games.”
Analytics and pace-of-play are among the many factors that are perceived to be negatively affecting Major League Baseball. Rising Phillies attendance and television ratings in 2018, however, suggests the "Philly faithful" is not going anywhere.
