Baseball is all about the numbers, and there’s a statistic that many in the league would rather ignore. The reality is that a dwindling percentage of Americans are interested in the sport now more than at any point in the last four decades—possibly even longer. It’s not merely that viewership has significantly declined; it’s that this drop has occurred alongside a U.S. population increase of over 100 million people.
From 1973 to 2013, the American population grew nearly 50 percent. Yet, the average number of viewers for each World Series game nosedived—from a peak of 44 million in 1978 to a mere 12.5 million in recent years. (Current ratings are not looking any better.) To put this in perspective, a staggering 115 million people tuned in for the latest Super Bowl. In fact, 23.8 million viewers watched a regular season NFL game between the Colts and Steelers on October 26. Last summer, 25 million people were captivated by the U.S. match against Portugal in the World Cup.
How low must baseball’s viewership sink before it becomes ridiculous to refer to it as America’s pastime? This isn’t just a nostalgic notion; it has legal implications as well, as baseball enjoys a unique exemption from federal antitrust laws based on its classification as an exhibition rather than a business.
Not too long ago, baseball truly embodied American culture. During World War II, U.S. soldiers would even ask each other, “Who won the World Series last year?” Every patriot in 1944 knew that the Cardinals triumphed over the Browns in an all-St. Louis showdown. Nowadays, very few could answer that question. Instead, one might find better luck in discussing the latest plot twists of popular shows like NCIS: New Orleans or The Walking Dead, which outperformed this year’s World Series in ratings.
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In summary, Major League Baseball is facing a significant decline in viewership, raising questions about its relevance as America’s favorite pastime. As demographics shift and interests evolve, the sport must adapt to retain its place in the hearts of fans.