Fans who couldn’t attend Royals games made sure to tune in. Check out these TV ratings
Baseball’s oddest season provided at least one constant.
Royals fans loved watching their team on television.
The Royals helped pass the COVID-19 pandemic summer with two months of action that produced a 4.6 average rating on FOX Sports Kansas City, according to Nielsen.
No fans in the stands, broadcasters covering all games — home and away — from Kauffman Stadium, and a team that missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year were not problematic for Royals fans. The rating marked a 4 percent increase over the 2019 average and ranked sixth among local market ratings in Major League Baseball.
The Royals, who finished fourth in the AL Central at 26-34, have ranked in baseball’s top 10 for local market ratings for eight straight years.
“Ratings increased despite unprecedented competition from high-profile sporting events and the lack of fans in the stadium,” FOX Sports Kansas City general manager and senior vice president Jack Donovan said.
“That’s a big win. It’s a credit to Royals fans, the excitement around the team’s young players and the foundation that ownership and the front office are building.”
FOX Sports Kansas City has broadcast the Royals for 13 seasons and continued this season under the team’s new multi-year deal with SInclair Broadcast Group.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Fans who couldn’t attend Royals games made sure to tune in. Check out these TV ratings."