In its first year broadcasting an MLB special-event game, Netflix drew an average of 1.66 million viewers for the league’s return to the Field of Dreams, according to Nielsen.
The game Thursday night between the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins was the first at the “Field of Dreams” movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, in four years. The Phillies would go on to beat the Twins 7-1.
Overall, the 1.66 million viewers represent a steep decline from the first two Field of Dreams games. In 2022, a Chicago Cubs-Cincinnati Reds matchup on Fox averaged 3.10 million viewers. In 2021, the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox game averaged 5.9 million viewers.
Last year’s Speedway Classic, another special event game, averaged 1.6 million viewers on Fox. The 2024 game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, averaged 2.5 million viewers.
Viewership for this year’s Field of Dreams game featured a median age of 46, the youngest for an MLB special-event game. That is in line with other events broadcast via the streaming service.
This is Netflix’s first season partaking in MLB broadcasts. An Opening Night game between the Yankees and San Francisco Giants averaged 2.97 million viewers on the streaming platform. The Home Run Derby on Netflix had an average viewership of 5.3 million, which was the event’s lowest since 2003, according to Sports Business Journal.
MLB at Field of Dreams is scheduled to return next year, featuring the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. It will be broadcast via NBC and Peacock. Netflix will still broadcast multiple MLB events next season as part of a three-year media rights deal.
