Ex-President Donald Trump called for a “boycott” of Major League Baseball (MLB) during a recent interview on the floundering far-right media outlet known as Newsmax, but now, MLB has announced “record streaming numbers” for their specialized streaming service, indicating that Republican support for a boycott has been a dud. According to the league, the “beginning of the season marked the most-watched 18-day period” in the 20-season history of MLB.TV, the league’s streaming platform.
From Opening Day through April 18, viewers watched over 1.34 billion minutes of live games on the MLB streaming platform, according to the league, which is 12 percent higher than the total minutes watched in the same period from last year’s season and 43 percent higher than the total minutes watched from the corresponding period in 2019. This year alone, MLB.TV has recorded its seven most-watched days ever, with a total of eight of its ten most-watched days ever coming this year. At the top of the list sits Opening Day 2021 — the most-watched day of coverage in the history of MLB.TV.
With close games, exciting star performances & 2 no-hitters to begin the season, https://t.co/pzZW56BhAE registered the most-watched 18-day period in its 20-season history, including the 7 most-watched days ever.
Fans have already watched over 1.34 billion minutes of live games. pic.twitter.com/0bWyoZp19C
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) April 19, 2021
Trump expressed support for a boycott of Major League Baseball after the league announced plans to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia in protest of oppressive new voting restrictions in the state. Trump, who has continued to promote the lie that there were systematic security problems in the 2020 election cycle, has claimed that the Georgia legislation doesn’t go far enough.
Separately, Trump has also long been publicly opposed to even the slightest hint of social awareness from sports organizations. He once infamously insisted that the “sons of bitches” who take a knee during pre-NFL game renditions of the National Anthem should get fired. Notably, during the playing of the National Anthem at a Super Bowl party that Trump held last year, he could be seen on footage from the event “waving his hands like a conductor, adjusting his chair, looking around, greeting guests — all while those around him, including his wife, Melania, stand with their hands over their hearts,” MarketWatch summarizes. He’s a craven hypocrite.
