ESPN Generates Largest Audience Ever for MLB Opening Night Telecast

Submitted by Tony Caliente on

Written by :

Tony Caliente

Published on :

ESPN Generates Largest Audience Ever for MLB Opening Night Telecast

It's official.  Fans and sports bettors alike are thrilled to have sports back in the United States, and the numbers prove this. 


*6 weeks free trial - test drive - best in the biz
*Deposit with Bitcoin - They'll double it!
*Get your own domain, customized website, logo
*Switch in under an hour, earn mrore $$ for doing so
*Odds featured on DonBest.com
*Thousands of betting options daily + live in-play
*Easy and discreet payment options include gift cards
*Walmart gift cards also accepted
Start Earning Money From Your Sheet Here

ESPN reported a record 4 million people tuned in to watch the Yankees face the Nationals for Thursday's opening night Major League Baseball game.  This was also the most watched MLB game on any network since 2011.

The 2020 MLB will feature 60 games.  The global coronavirus pandemic forced nearly all sports to shut down back in Mid-March.  US leagues began playing this month, starting with Major League Soccer.  The NBA, WNBA and NHL are slated to resume play over the coming days.

ESPN’s record audience for the Yankees vs. Nationals game was up eight percent from the previous Opening Night record set by ESPN’s St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs game on Opening Night in 2017, which drew 3,700,000 viewers. Last night’s telecast was also up 232 percent from last year’s Opening Night telecast between the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, which drew 1,200,000 viewers. The Yankees vs. Nationals ESPN telecast peaked with 4,480,000 viewers at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The game telecast delivered an 8.4 rating in the Washington D.C. market, which is the highest-rated regular season MLB game ever on ESPN in the market. It also generated a 7.8 rating in the New York market, making it the highest-rated regular season MLB game on ESPN in the market since 2015.

The game ended early due to heavy rainfall.

Additionally, the second half of ESPN’s exclusive Opening Night telecast presented by John Deere doubleheader at 10 p.m. ET – the San Francisco Giants vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers – generated an average audience of 2,764,000 viewers and is ESPN’s most-watched MLB regular season late night ET game ever. The telecast drew a 6.9 rating in the San Francisco market, making it the highest-rated regular season MLB game in the market since 2013. In Los Angeles, the telecast drew a 6.8 rating, making it the highest-rated regular season MLB game on ESPN in the market, outside of the 2018 tiebreaker game vs. the Colorado Rockies.

- Tony Caliente, Gambling911.com

Related Content

Alberta Canadia Gambler Battles 888casino Over $1.3 Million Jackpot Payout

Alberta Canada Gambler Battles 888casino Over $1.3 Million Jackpot Payout

The operator claims, because the software malfunctioned, it rendered the jackpot payouts invalid. It further attributed the malfunction to testing software mistakenly deployed into its live gaming environment
Bet on an MLB Lockout and the 2027 World Series Odds That Have the Dodgers Favored to Win

Bet on an MLB Lockout and the 2027 World Series Odds That Have the Dodgers Favored to Win

The oddsmakers at BetOnline Sports & Casino created a prop for how many regular season games will be played in 2027.
Canelo Comeback Fight Odds Against Christian Mbilli

Canelo Comeback Fight Odds Against Christian Mbilli

Canelo Alvarez is back this weekend, fighting for the first time since his definitive loss to Terence Crawford in September 2025.
5 Ways to Get Free Spins and a Free No Deposit Bonus in South African Casinos

5 Ways to Get Free Spins and a Free No Deposit Bonus in South African Casinos

To get the 50 free spins no deposit offer at Regal Springs, you need to tick off the first two items of a three-tier package while BetOnline only requires a $10 deposit to get 100 free spins.