MLB on Netflix: big ratings
Netflix’s MLB Opening Night nearly hit 3 million viewers and narrowly trailed NBC’s Opening Day broadcast — a major early‑season ratings win for streaming baseball. The league also revived the classic show 'This Week in Baseball' for the season, signaling a nostalgia push across platforms. (hollywoodreporter.com)(sportsmediawatch.com)(si.com)
Netflix’s own release said Opening Night totaled about 3.0 million viewers and touted 200 million owned global social impressions and 6 million engagements tied to the event. (about.netflix.com) Independent ratings trackers reported a 1.3 Nielsen rating and an average-minute audience of roughly 2.97 million viewers for the Yankees‑Giants telecast. (sportsmediawatch.com) NBC highlighted that its primetime Dodgers‑Diamondbacks game averaged 3.2 million across NBC and Peacock and that its Opening Day multi‑game presentation averaged about 2.7 million viewers across platforms. (nbcsports.com) Early reviews of Netflix’s production mixed praise for on‑air talent with criticism of execution, noting a celebrity‑led pregame panel (Elle Duncan with Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo) and complaints about heavy ad loads and production miscues. (sportingnews.com) Netflix confirmed the Opening Night telecast is the first of a three‑event live slate that includes the T‑Mobile Home Run Derby on July 13 and MLB at Field of Dreams on August 13, both exclusive to the streamer. (about.netflix.com) Major League Baseball announced a modernized relaunch of This Week in Baseball, set to debut April 3 as weekly 5–10 minute episodes on X at noon ET and run through the postseason with the series’ original theme music returning. (mlb.com)
