The Dodgers may wear the villain label in some corners, but the numbers keep telling a different story. Since the start of the 2024 season, Los Angeles has been right in the middle of MLB’s biggest TV draws, and that trend kept rolling during this latest road trip.
It started with the Seoul Series, carried through the Dodgers’ World Series win over the New York Yankees, and picked up again last year when the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs helped power the Tokyo Series on television. The 2025 World Series also landed among the most-watched postseason games in history. Even in losses, the Dodgers have continued to move the meter for MLB’s national broadcasts.
That was true again on Sunday night at Yankee Stadium. After the Dodgers took the opener of the series, rain forced a split doubleheader, and Los Angeles came back on July 19 looking to finish off a sweep. The finale had already been set for NBC and Peacock’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” and it delivered a major audience: 3.9 million viewers, making it the second-most watched “Sunday Night Baseball” telecast since 2011.
The game also produced the season’s biggest peak audience for a “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast, with 4.6 million viewers tuned in from 6:45 p.m. through 7 p.m. PT. That stretch lined up with Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s game-winning home run off Evan Phillips in the eighth inning.
Jason Benetti handled the play-by-play for NBC Sports, with Orel Hershiser and Roger Clemens in the booth. CC Sabathia added commentary from beside the Yankees’ dugout.
NBC’s MLB presence is still in its first season under its new rights agreement, but the network’s connection to baseball runs deep. The first MLB television broadcast was a 1939 doubleheader between the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers on W2XBS, the forerunner to WNBC-TV. NBC Sports also carried the first World Series broadcast in 1947 and the first nationally televised All-Star Game in 1952.
The Dodgers showed up again for ESPN on Monday night in Philadelphia. Their series opener with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park was an exclusive national broadcast, and the Phillies’ 10-7 win drew ESPN’s biggest MLB audience of the season at 1.8 million viewers.
That figure was up 42% from comparable ESPN weeknight MLB games last year.
In Other News...
Dave Roberts Just Sent A Clear Message About Dodgers Catching Situation
The Dodgers catching picture has shifted again, and Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. is now the next man up behind the plate. Los Angeles called him to the major league roster on July 4 to fill the backup role, and Dave Roberts made it clear he likes what he sees in the young catcher, pointing to his feel for the game and the way he fits in the clubhouse.
That kind of vote of confidence matters for a team trying to keep the position steady while Will Smith is out and the depth chart keeps changing around him. Chuckie Robinson was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City after failing to make much of an impact, so Alfonzo suddenly has a real opportunity to show he can handle the job, even if the Dodgers are still waiting for the bigger catching picture to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Rare Jackie Robinson Card Just Shook Up Dodgers History
A signed 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson rookie card just added another eye-catching chapter to Dodgers lore, selling at the Fanatics Premier Auction on July 23 for $1.86 million. The card now stands as the most expensive on-card autograph vintage baseball card ever sold, a reminder of how Robinsons legacy continues to command a premium well beyond the field.
What makes the sale even more striking is how little company this card has in the hobby. PSA has authenticated only five signed 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson rookies, which helps explain why serious collectors keep circling his cards whenever one surfaces. The broader market has been moving in that direction too, with Robinson material rising sharply in value in recent years, and this latest result only pushes the bar higher. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Tucker Finally Gave Dodgers Fans A Reason To Laugh At Mets
Kyle Tuckers latest swing gave the Dodgers a little extra breathing room in a tense 4-3 win over the Mets, and it came at a useful time for a lineup still trying to sort out its rhythm. The two-run shot was his second homer in as many days and his first since June 27, a welcome burst of power from a player the Dodgers have been waiting to see more consistently.
For a club that beat out New York for Tucker in the offseason, the timing added a layer of irony the Dodgers could appreciate. Even with the recent pop, his July numbers have been roughly middle-of-the-road, so the question now is whether this is the start of something more lasting or just a brief spike before the next quiet stretch. [Read more 🡒]