Телерейтинги MLB выросли на 44% на фоне успешного начала сезона
Главная лига бейсбола (MLB) демонстрирует уверенный рост популярности. Благодаря изменениям, внедренным комиссаром Робом Манфредом для ускорения темпа игры, интерес к спорту заметно возрос. В частности, введение счетчика подач сократило время матчей, а использование увеличенных баз способствовало росту числа попыток кражи базы: с 3297 в 2022 году до 4369 в 2023 году. Кроме того, запрет на экстремальные инфилд-шифты и внедрение автоматизированной системы фиксации страйков и болов также способствовали улучшению качества игры.Согласно данным MLB Communications, к началу мая текущего сезона рейтинги национальных эксклюзивных трансляций составили 2,28 миллиона зрителей, что на 44% больше показателей прошлого года. Это лучший старт сезона за последние девять лет, что происходит на фоне роста посещаемости матчей и высокого интереса к Мировой бейсбольной классике.Несмотря на успех, перед лигой стоят серьезные вызовы. В преддверии истечения срока действия коллективного договора в декабре ожидается начало трудовых переговоров. Существует высокая вероятность локаута, так как владельцы клубов могут настаивать на введении потолка зарплат, что категорически не поддерживается игроками. Если стороны не достигнут соглашения, затяжной локаут может поставить под угрозу текущую динамику роста популярности бейсбола.
MLB television ratings surge 44% through early part of the season ahead of potential lockout
Major League Baseball is booming. And they better not mess it up. Several years ago, MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred enacted changes meant to speed up the game through better pace of play, keeping the same amount of action in baseball while decreasing the time each game took to finish. The pitch clock immediately shortened game times, and more importantly, made them feel faster. Physically larger bases were introduced to encourage more stolen base attempts, which worked immediately. In 2022, the last season before the larger bases, there were 3,297 stolen base attempts leaguewide. In 2023, there were a whopping 4,369. Nearly 1,100 more attempts in just one year. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!Banning extreme infield shifts meant fewer traditional hits, especially for left-handed hitters, were taken away by infielders playing out of position. And for 2026, the automated balls and strikes system was added to eliminate egregiously missed calls. That’s been a rousing success as well.SMALL MARKET MLB TEAMS ARE OUTPERFORMING BIG PAYROLLS, UNDERMINING OWNERS' PUSH TO CANCEL 2027 SEASONAnd despite the offseason hand-wringing, baseball’s in a better spot than it’s been in decades. Attendance is up. World Series ratings in 2025 were massive. The World Baseball Classic has become must-see TV. Momentum is stronger than it's been in decades. On Wednesday, that was confirmed by the latest viewership data coming from national broadcasts.MLB Communications posted on X that, through the early part of the season, television ratings for "national exclusive" games have exploded. "Viewership for national exclusive MLB games through the first weekend of May is 2.28 million, a +44% increase over last year and the best start in 9 years," the post says.That’s an incredible increase and comes just a few months after many fans and media members heavily criticized the Los Angeles Dodgers for "ruining" baseball by signing free agents. It’s one thing for outsiders to have those concerns, but reports were rampant that opposing teams and their owners would use the Dodgers’ spending to push for a salary cap. Labor negotiations between the league and the MLB Players Association are expected to start soon, and a lockout in December when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires seems like a near-certainty. And if there’s one line in the sand for the players, it’s a salary cap. The cap would, in their view, limit their potential earnings while doing little for competitive balance. A position supported by the current standings, where teams like the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have struggled through the first quarter of the season.If the cap does become the owners’ top priority, and players won’t agree to it, the sport could be thrown into an extended lockout. An extended lockout leading to canceled games would be a disaster for baseball, and risk jeopardizing the league’s impressive growth. Baseball is finally heading in the right direction, and hopefully these numbers are enough to make those in charge realize it. And be terrified of squandering it and hurting themselves much more than limiting player salaries would help them.
Опросы прогнозируют исторические потери Лейбористской партии Кира Стармера на предстоящих местных выборах.
Starmer Braces for Local Election Losses Amid New Era of UK Politics
— Polls predict historic losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party on Thursday as anti-immigrant Reform U.K. makes gains, and a new era of multiparty politics takes shape.
В этот четверг пройдут местные выборы в Англии и парламентские выборы в Шотландии и Уэльсе. Прогнозы указывают на возможные неудачи правящей Лейбористской партии.
Starmer Faces a Major Test in a Set of UK Elections: What to Know
— Local elections in England, and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, take place on Thursday. The governing Labour Party is expected to do very badly.
Ученые впервые зафиксировали случай передачи патогена от морских обитателей человеку, что может привести к поражению органов зрения.
From sea to sight: Chinese study finds aquatic virus can infect human eyes
— A virus found in shrimp and fish may cause an eye disease in humans, according to a recent study that marks the first known case of a pathogen from aquatic animals infecting people.Those “who handle dissected aquatic animals daily without adequate protection or eat raw aquatic animals daily are at high risk” of being exposed to the virus, the researchers cautioned in their recently published paper.They advised taking protective measures, such as wearing gloves, when handling such animals at...
Количество заболерований редким вирусом, передающимся через грызунов, в Аргентине значительно увеличилось.
Hantavirus infections have almost doubled in Argentina, where a MV Hondius began its journey
— Argentina, where MV Hondius departed, is consistently ranked by the World Health Organization as having the highest incidence of the rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America
Король Малайзии султан Ибрагим Искандар прибыл в Москву для проведения официального визита. Ожидается, что поездка поможет Куала-Лумпуру найти альтернативные источники нефти на фоне топливного кризиса.
Malaysian king’s visit to Russia expected to smooth path for oil deal
— Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar arrived in Moscow on Thursday for a high-profile visit that comes as Kuala Lumpur looks for alternative oil sources amid the Iran war-linked fuel crisis.Sultan Ibrahim landed at Vnukovo-2 International Airport at 4.20pm local time on Thursday, according to Malaysian reports, and was received by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, senior protocol officials and Malaysia’s ambassador to Russia, Cheong Loon Lai.The king is attending Russia’s May 9...
Авиакомпания AirAsia подписала соглашение о приобретении 150 лайнеров Airbus A220. Потенциальная стоимость сделки оценивается примерно в 6,8 миллиарда долларов.
AirAsia signs major deal for Airbus A220 jets made in Canada
— The deal for 150 aircraft is potentially worth about $6.8 billion.
Несмотря на различие в политических взглядах, братья Папы Лео поддерживают регулярное общение.
‘Families fight’: Pope Leo’s older brother tells CNN how the siblings remain close amid fresh attacks from Trump
— Pope Leo and his brothers, John and ‘MAGA-type’ Louis, talk at least once a week, despite how they may differ in political views
Новая политика корпоративного управления в SpaceX ослабляет стандартную защиту прав инвесторов.
SpaceX IPO gives Musk sweeping power and curbs shareholder rights
— The rocket maker has adopted corporate governance policies that will erode typical shareholder protections in unprecedented ways.
Федеральный судья распорядился обнародовать рукописную записку, найденную спустя почти пять лет после смерти Джеффри Эпштейна.
'They found nothing': Jeffrey Epstein's alleged suicide note released
— A federal judge has ordered the release of a handwritten note, purportedly from Jeffrey Epstein, found nearly five years after his death. The note, discovered by his former cellmate, contains the line, "It is a treat to be able to choose ones time to say goodbye." The document was unsealed after a request by The New York Times.
В результате массированных ракетных и дроновых ударов на востоке Украины погибли 27 человек. Киев заявляет о нарушении Россией соглашения о перемирии.
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv accuses Moscow of violating ceasefire with missile and drone strikes
— Worst Russian strikes of the year throughout eastern Ukraine kill 27 people in hours leading up to Kyiv's ceasefire
Главы государств региона готовят план действий по защите суверенитета и свободы судоходства, что может быть воспринято как скрытая критика позиций США, Израиля и Ирана.
Southeast Asian leaders will reaffirm core values in veiled Mideast war rebuke
— Southeast Asian leaders plan to issue a contingency plan that upholds international law, sovereignty and freedom of navigation in what could be seen as a veiled rebuke to the United States, Israel and Iran over the Middle East war which has impacted th...
Житель Австрии разбогател благодаря случайной находке спрятанного клада.
Vienna plumber becomes millionaire after tugging a rope and finding 66 pounds of hidden gold in Austria
Правительственная комиссия изучает отсутствие надзора за ремонтными работами в жилом комплексе, приведшее к одному из самых смертоносных пожаров в истории Гонконга.
High-risk Wang Fuk Court renovation works treated as low-risk, Tai Po probe hears
— This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.The second of three witnesses from the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) is set to testify on Thursday at a hearing into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades.The government-appointed independent committee will continue to question members of the unit over the lack of oversight in the run-up to the fire at Wang Fung Court, with Nick Yung...
Апелляционный суд Сеула уменьшил тюремный срок Хан Дук Су с 23 до 15 лет.
South Korean court reduces Han Duck-soo’s prison term in martial law case
— Seoul appeals court cuts Han Duck-soo's prison sentence from 23 years to 15.
Президент Дональд Трамп подписал документ, в котором назвал богатых союзников по НАТО «инкубатором террористических угроз» из-за их миграционной политики.
US blasts ‘wealthy NATO allies’ as terror incubators
— President Trump has signed a new counterterrorism strategy that describes Europe as both a target and an “incubator of terror threats” Read Full Article at RT.com
Президент США Дональд Трамп объявил о временной остановке программы сопровождения судов в Ормузском проливе. Причиной послужили сообщения о достижении значительного прогресса в подготовке мирного соглашения с Тегераном.
Iran-US war latest: Trump’s pause on plan to escort ships through Strait of Hormuz follows backlash from allies, reports claim
— Trump quickly announced the pause of ‘Project Freedom,’ citing ‘great progress’ with Iran towards a permanent peace deal
В сети распространилось фото израильского военнослужащего, совершающего осквернение религиозной статуи, что вызвало волну возмущения.
Israeli soldier caught desecrating statue of Virgin Mary in Lebanon
— Outrage is growing over a photo of an Israeli soldier pushing a cigarette into the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Правоохранительные органы проводят обыск в помещении, имеющем отношение к убийце Кристин Смарт, спустя три десятилетия после её пропажи.
Police search home linked to Kristin Smart’s killer 30 years after her disappearance
— Kristin Smart went missing in 1996 and has since been declared dead. Her body has never been found
Решение о запрете публичных просмотров матчей Чемпионата мира 2026 года на площади Федерации было пересмотрено после волны протестов.
Australian state overturns Melbourne ban on World Cup watch party
— Australian authorities on Thursday reversed a ban on public watch parties in Melbourne's Federation Square for the 2026 football World Cup after the decision sparked an outcry.The…
Первый день новой эры X League прошел успешно, однако эксперты задаются вопросом о долгосрочной устойчивости этого успеха.
Off-field challenges remain for the X League, as on-field product improves
— The opening day of the X League's new era was an unqualified success — but will it last?