NEW YORK – Perhaps sensing the abbreviated season might not last long, television viewers welcomed baseball back with open arms from its coronavirus hiatus.ESPN's coverage of the first game back, between the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals last Thursday, was the most-watched regular season baseball game in nine years, the Nielsen company said.Weekend ratings were also solid.
But considering that Major League Baseball on Tuesday temporarily suspended the Miami Marlins' season for the rest of the week because of their COVID-19 outbreak, there are fresh fears that the season will not be completed.Fox's Saturday night coverage of Washington's win over the Yankees reached 2.8 million, or 19% over the average for all of its' prime-time.