The St. Louis Cardinals, a team usually associated with devoted viewership, is witnessing a concerning trend in local television ratings, with numbers taking a significant nosedive for the second straight year. In fresh data provided by KSDK, Cardinals telecasts on Bally Sports Midwest raked in a mere 3.9 household rating, roughly translated to about 50,000 households tuning in within the St. Louis region, signaling an average of 81,000 viewers per game in 2024 which tumbled down by 20% from the preceding year.

These figures represent a staggering 47% decline over the past two seasons, a rate of attrition that is nothing short of alarming for the franchise, local broadcasters, and advertisers alike, "For the second season in a row, BSM drew a record-low rating for the Cards’ local television package — figures that stretch back 3½ decades," according to metrics as reported by St. Louis Today. This downward spiral is attributed in part to the Cardinals' disappointing performance on the field and the distribution challenges faced by Bally Sports Midwest (BSM).

Much of this waning viewership interest coincides with broader issues plaguing BSM's parent company, Diamond Sports Group. Amid speculation, it was later clarified by sources to FOX 2 that while the Cardinals have not been dropped, there is a likelihood that the team will be asked to rework their TV broadcast contract, an agreement that's slated to funnel $1 billion to the franchise through 2032 under its current terms.