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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ld-series.html

The Pros and Cons of Local Broadcasting
Fox, ESPN, CBS and NBC own the national broadcasting rights for N.F.L. games, giving wide exposure to the league’s best teams and stars. Baseball’s broadcasting model is much different. Individual teams sell exclusive rights for nearly all of their games to either regional branches of these national networks or to local stations.

Although baseball’s national TV ratings lag far behind those of other top sports, these local broadcasts are very popular.

According to Nielsen ratings:

In 2019, 12 of the 29 United States-based major league teams were the most popular prime-time broadcast in their market.

An additional seven teams ranked in the top three in prime time.

On cable, 24 major league teams ranked first in their market in prime time.

M.L.B. ranked first over all on cable in every major league market in the United States except Miami.

Again, baseball is relying on its high volume of games (one nearly every day for six months). But the fact remains that people spend many more hours watching their home team than other prime-time shows.

This works well for the regional networks — many of which are owned, at least in part, by the teams themselves.

The local popularity of baseball partially explains the poor World Series ratings in recent years. After following their home team for 162 games, fans may be unlikely to sit through a series between two teams they have rarely seen play and with 50 players whose names they may barely recognize. Instead, they’ll wait until next season, and tune back in to their local station.