a day ago
Surging Blue Jays crushing ratings game too with huge Sportsnet numbers
It's one of the toughest tickets in town for the live crowd as the Blue Jays have become one of the hottest stories in professional sports right now.
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And as a result, the team with the best record in the American League is once again delivering a massive ratings bonanza for Sportsnet.
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According to a source, the recently completed three-game series against the Chicago Cubs drew a stellar average of 1.26 million viewers on Sportsnet platforms. That's a huge number an any time of the season, but especially for three midweek games in the middle of August.
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The highest of the three was Tuesday's first game of the series against the Cubs, a game that drew an audience of 1.4 million viewers. That game would have grabbed a natural boost given the excitement associated with Sunday's dramatic win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series that also had two late-night starts which would have limited east coast viewership somewhat.
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The momentum surrounding the team right now is starting to carry 2015 vibes as a likeable group of players who are rebounding from a last-place season in 2024. It also didn't hurt that popular broadcaster Buck Martinez is back in the booth and many of his long-time viewers were welcoming that return.
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'The ratings are off the hook right now,' an industry insider said. 'And they're only going to continue to grow. Yes, it's the whole country tuning in, but it's pretty impressive.'
So too is what the Jays are doing on the field. Entering Friday's opener of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, the Jays carried an AL best record of 71-51 with a nice cushion of a five-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the division.
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Sportsnet wasn't able to reap the benefits of that momentum on Friday given it was the last Apple TV-plus game of the season. That MLB contractually driven reality isn't likely to dull the momentum much, however, given the Jays play of late.
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While the TV audiences are large and growing in momentum, this is nothing new for the Jays, who have long been the any of most MLB franchises for the engaged, coast-to-coast audience.
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But with the NFL still in training camps, this is the time for the Jays to seize a captive and engaged audience, a reality for Sportsnet, especially during seasons in which the Jays are contenders.
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As for the in-stadium crowds, the Jays are cashing in that department as well. Prior to Friday, the Jays had sold out 13 consecutive games at the Rogers Centre, where they have a 40-20 record this season for an AL-leading .667 win percentage.
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