On Thursday the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation released the TV ratings for the 2009 season on its website FIBS.it. According to the report the numbers indicate an increase of about 50 percent in comparison to 2008.
23 games of the Italian Baseball League were broadcasted through the satellite channel Rai Sport Più, 14 regular season games, four during the semi-final round and all five of the Italian Series. 16 of these games were shown live; the other seven were shown on a delayed schedule, though they were also live viewable online.
An average audience of 15,021 saw the 23 games, highlighted by 69,777 viewers alone for the decisive fifth game between Bologna and San Marino on August 19. Two games between Bologna and Parma followed with 55,600, respective 34,339 viewers. Seven other games varied between 11,000 and 23,000 viewers. A one-hour recap of the Italian Series on August 22 at the national TV station Rai Tre was seen by 237,539 viewers.
Rai Sport Più also aired twelve games of the IBAF Baseball World Cup in September with an average of 21,810 viewers and a maximum of 43,000 for the second-round opener between Italy and Taiwan in Florence on September 13th.