Almost a year ago, ConradBI wrote some blogs related to the MLB’s decision to change the rules in an effort to stem the tide of former fans walking away. At that time, ratings had been on a downward trend for years, and games were overly defensive and not much fun to watch. Over the years, TV ratings consistently fell in line with the overall increased use of the defensive strategy called “the shift”. And so for 2023, the MLB changed the rules of the game to help bolster a more offensive side of the sport. And now that we’re almost at the end of the season, I wanted to revisit the issue and see how the changes have impacted the game. Here are 3 critical takeaways.
1) The pitch clock rocks!
Per baseball-reference.com, the average time per 9-inning game for the 2023 season was 2 hours and 39 minutes. That’s down 24 minutes compared to last season, but to give an idea of how much of an impact this is, you have to go back to 2015 to find an game average under 3 hours. The chart below from theringer.com demonstrates what kind of difference the clock is making, pushing the defense to be ready sooner and lessening pitching delays to avoid penalties. As you can see, the changes are significant.
2) Base stealing is back, baby!
Arguably, one of the most exciting plays in a baseball game is back: base stealing. The stolen bases per game is currently averaging .72 which is the highest average since the late 90’s. Maybe more exciting is that the success rate of steals is at 80% making it an all-time high. Is it the bigger bases or is it the new pitcher rules? I’m not sure, probably something in between, but either way, it’s a lot more fun to watch.
3) Ratings are up
From day one in the 2023 season, MLB viewership has been up. Opening day saw a 42% increase on MLB TV, breaking the previous single-day record by 51 million viewers. While not as drastic on other networks, viewership has averaged higher all season. For instance, according to the Sports Business Journal, the increased viewership on Fox and FS1 were up 31%. On top of that, attendance is up over 8% and social media engagements are up 25%. These numbers are no accident and no small feat.
Final thoughts
The business decision by the MLB to listen to the data has paid off and paid off big. By offering a more exciting product, the average ticket price is up, and the larger viewership means they can charge higher advertising rates, not to mention an uptick in merchandise sales, and overall fan loyalty. I can’t wait to see the ratings data for the World Series, but even without it, there is no doubt that the fans are loving the new changes.
