ESPN is riding a hot streak with Sunday Night Baseball, which just posted its strongest viewership numbers since 2017—and it’s not even All-Star break yet.
The June 1 primetime showdown between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers pulled in 2.73M viewers, the largest audience for the franchise in seven years. The game peaked at 3.08M around 8:30 p.m. ET, giving ESPN a major lift and putting the 2025 season well ahead of last year’s pace.
Through its first several weeks, Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One is averaging 1.72M viewers, up 16% from 2024. The Yankees-Dodgers game alone was up 65% over the comparable broadcast last year and a full 81% above the 2024 season average.
The demo numbers are up too—games have climbed six percent year-over-year in P18-49, giving ESPN something to pitch beyond the diamond.
Next up: the Yankees stay in the national spotlight, hosting the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, June 8, at 7 p.m. ET.
