Rivalry? Padres-Dodgers Shatters Usual 'Sunday Night Baseball' Ratings Pattern

Major League Baseball games on ESPN are averaging 1,715,000 viewers, up 20 percent from last year, through four games including Opening Night and three Sunday Night Baseball games.

The San Diego Padres' 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 14 delivered an average audience of nearly two million viewers (1,961,000) on ESPN, according to Nielsen. The numbers delivered the most-watched edition of Sunday Night Baseball that didn't include the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox since 2018.

Viewership for the two National League West rivals was up 38 percent from last year’s Sunday Night Baseball season average and up 58 percent in the key people ages 18-49 demographic. The broadcast peaked with 2,215,000 viewers.

The Padres drew 14 walks in the game as they rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Dodgers pitchers James Paxton and Ryan Brasier walked the bases loaded to lead off the sixth and the Padres tied it up with Luis Campusano’s ground-ball double play followed by an infield single off the bat of Jackson Merrill.

San Diego loaded the bases again in the seventh inning and Jurickson Profar delivered a bases-clearing double off the center field wall to push the Padres ahead for good.

“We have a great team, and they have a really, really good team over there,” Profar said. “For us to come in here and take two out of three, it’s a message.”