The Cardinals have soared in the past two months, compiling a 35-22 record dating back to Mother’s Day — May 12. That has hoisted them into what would be a wild-card playoff spot if the season ended today, a major improvement after their last-place finish a season ago.
But their television ratings haven’t followed the on-field surge, a disparity certainly correlating in large part to the distribution and financial troubles faced by Diamond Sports Group. That’s the parent company of Cards regional telecaster Bally Sports Midwest.
The team is set to return to action Friday night in Atlanta after the four-day All-Star break and resumes play with its local rating down 25% over the same stage last year, which ended as the Cardinals’ worst-rated season in records that date to 1990. Their games this year are being seen in an average of 4.2% of the market according to Nielsen, which tracks viewership.
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If that’s how it ends up, it would be significantly below the 5.2 figure BSM drew last year and continue a downward spiral. In the five years before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Cards’ local rating averaged 7.9. In the three full post-pandemic seasons, the figure has been 6.2. If this year’s current figure holds the after-shutdown figure would be 5.7. Even in the pandemic year (2020), when the season was truncated to 58 games, the rating was 5.4 — better than the figure last year and thus far this season.
An enormous contributing factor to the viewership doldrums involve financial disputes. Multiple programming distributors that many Cardinals fans use are unwilling to pay the fee being charged in order to carry Bally Sports Midwest, leading them to simply not show BSM. It is a list that has been growing in recent years. While Bally Sports Midwest is on major carriers in its service region such as Charter (Spectrum), DirecTV, Fubo, AT&T U-verse, DirecTV Stream and Mediacom, it is not carried on YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Xfinity (Comcast), Dish Network and Altice.
The issue is tied to Diamond being in bankruptcy for more than a year, a situation that might finally be resolved — or at least given clarity — in hearings scheduled for July 29-30 in Houston presided over by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Chris Lopez. Because Diamond has teams under contract in the NHL and NBA in addition to Major League Baseball, the outcome of the case could set the future of the business side of local and regional sportscasting for years to come.
“There’s been a lot of good work done, and I don’t want to lose sight of it,†Lopez said at a hearing in May. “I know everybody’s got a real stake in where we are. And I get it.â€
Another factor contributing to the Cardinals’ ratings decline is that there is no option to directly purchase the telecasts, including via streaming, in the BSM territory without subscribing to a distributor that carries that network. Complicating matters even more is that some far-flung areas are blacked out of access to the productions because of territorial restrictions.
Although the Cards are No. 1 in ºüÀêÊÓƵ television on nights they play, they are sixth in local ratings among U.S.-based MLB teams. That puts in jeopardy the streak of 14 consecutive seasons in which they’ve been among the top four in the country.
“Ratings may be down but still are among the highest ratings of all MLB teams,†BSM general manager Jack Donovan said. “There are lots of games remaining, and I expect ratings to gain momentum as we head down the stretch.â€
The two highest-rated Cardinals telecasts of the season thus far were for national telecasts on Fox (KTVI, Channel 2 locally). Leading the way was their 6-5 victory over San Francisco on June 20 in Birmingham, Alabama — which was a tribute to the Negro Leagues and the legacy of Willie Mays, who died a few days earlier. The contest, on a Thursday night, drew a 9.4 rating in ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
That was followed by an 8.2 figure for a Saturday night home game against the Chicago Cubs on May 25. Next is BSM’s 7.5 rating for the club’s home opener, a Thursday afternoon game again Miami on April 4.
All-Star run rolls on
For the first time since 2007 a Cardinal did not participate in the All-Star Game. Their lone representative this year, relief pitcher Ryan Helsley, pulled out the day beforehand to rest his arm.
All-Star Game, Home Run Derby by the numbers
Year | Game National | Game STL | Derby National | Derby STL |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 3.8Ìý | 6.6 (7) | 2.8 | 3.4 (7) |
2023 | 3.9 | 5.2 (6) | 3.1 | 4.7 (4) |
2022 | 4.2 | 10.4 (1) | 3.6 | 10.2 (1) |
2021 | 4.5 | 8.7 (6) | 3.8 | 6.3 (11) |
2020 | No competition | COVID-19 | pandemic | |
2019 | 6.2 | 8.2 (8) | 4.5 | 4.3 (22) |
2018 | 6.5 | 10.6 (2) | 4.4 | 4.9 (12) |
2017 | 6.5 | 12.1 (2) | 5.5 | 6.0 (13) |
2016 | 6.4 | 10.4 (2) | 3.2 | 6.5 (5) |
2015 | 7.7 | 17.9 (3) | 4.2 | 11.3 (2) |
2014 | 7.9 | 14.3 (3) | 3.4 | 5.8 (5) |
2013 | 8.1 | 16.4 (2) | 4.1 | 7.4 (5) |
2012 | 8.1 | 20.5 (1) | 4.2 | 8.4 (4) |
2011 | 7.9 | 17.8 (1) | 4 | 7.8 (4) |
2010 | 9.1 | 20.5 (1) | 4 | 10.2 (1) |
2009 | 10.4 | 37.0 (1) | 5.1 | 18.9 (1) |
2008 | 11 | 20.3 (1) | 5.5 | 7.7 (9) |
2007 | 9.9 | 18.9 (1) | 4.3 | 10.9 (1) |
2006 | 10.6 | 20.7 (2) | 4.4 | 8.1 (5) |
2005 | 9.8 | 23.3 (1) | 4.1 | 8.0 (5) |
2004 | 10.2 | 18.8 (1) | 4.7 | 6.1 (13) |
2003 | 11.1 | 22.5 (1) | 3.5 | 8.1 (2) |
2002 | 11.4 | 15.4 (6) | 5 | 7.5 (7) |
Nonetheless ºüÀêÊÓƵ finished sixth nationally among major markets in TV ratings for the contest, continuing a remarkable run for the city. It now has had a top 10 finish in each of the 22 All-Star contests in records available dating to 2002. It has been first 10 times, No. 2 on five others and third twice. That’s 77% of the contests being in the top three.
All the games have been shown on Fox/KTVI, and Nielsen says 6.6% of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ market tuned in to Tuesday’s contest. The list was topped by a bit of a surprise. Pittsburgh, hardly a baseball hotbed, led it as the Steel City evidently is caught up in Skenes-mania. Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes was the National League’s starting pitcher and despite going only an inning Pittsburgh generated a 9.9 rating. The Pirates had just one other player on the roster, outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Philadelphia, which had eight representatives, was next (8.6). Third was Kansas City, which had four Royals on the AL roster, at 8.5.
Nationally, Fox drew 7.44 million viewers — the second-smallest audience on record. It only surpassed last year’s 7.01 million figure. Nonetheless, the Midsummer Classic traditionally is the most-watched All-Star contest conducted by the major North American sports leagues and was so again this year. The NFL’s Pro Bowl Games drew just under 5.8 million, the NBA All-Star Game was at 5.4 million and the NHL All-Star contest was at 1.4 million.
Derby day
ºüÀêÊÓƵ ranked seventh nationally in ratings for the Home Run Derby, its third consecutive top 10 finish after the previous four events averaged being No. 14.
Nielsen says 3.4% of the market tuned in to the coverage Monday night, which ran on ESPN and ESPN2. That’s after the Gateway City was fourth last year, with a 4.7 rating, and first the season before that. There was a big caveat in 2022, though, as Cardinals legend Albert Pujols was in his farewell fling and made it to the semifinals before being ousted by Juan Soto. Pujols’ presence helped generate a 10.2 rating then in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, the market’s best rating for the contest since drawing an 11.3 figure for the 2015 competition that also featured Pujols (then with the Angels) reaching the semifinals.
The Gateway City’s rating for this year’s event was behind Missouri’s other major market, Kansas City, which drew a 6.5 rating and was in third place. But unlike ºüÀêÊÓƵ, KC had a local player in the competition. The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., who made it to the final round before losing to the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández. Philadelphia led the way, with a 7.5 rating, followed by a 6.6 figure in Baltimore.
Nationally the contest averaged 5.45 million viewers after being at 6.11 million last year.
Costas to be honored
Nationally renowned sportscaster Bob Costas, whose career began at KMOX (1120 AM) in ºüÀêÊÓƵ in the 1970s before it ascended at the national level, has been selected to be honored for lifetime achievement in sportsmanship at this year’s edition of the Musial Awards.
The annual ceremony in ºüÀêÊÓƵ recognize good deeds and sportsmanship in athletics, with this year’s event set for November 23 at Stifel Theatre. Previous winners of the award Costas will be presented include Bill Bradley, Albert Pujols, Wayne & Janet Gretzky, Hank Aaron, Bart Conner & Nadia Comaneci, Jim Thome, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Cal Ripken Jr., Arnold Palmer and Joe Torre.
“This award is especially meaningful to me because of my great regard for Stan Musial, both as a player and a person, and because of my enduring connection to ºüÀêÊÓƵ,†Costas, who lived in the area for many years after leaving the local airwaves, said in a statement. “And of course, I am very appreciative of having my name mentioned alongside the extraordinary past recipients of the Musial Award. When you put all those factors together, this is an honor I will always cherish.â€