According to an analysis of Nielsen Media Research viewership data by the SportsBusiness Journal, Fox SportsNet Southwest, which broadcasts Astros games on a regional basis, has seen a 26 percent ratings decline -- down about 69,000 households -- through the first half of the 2008 season to record a 3.36 share.

That’s the fourth-highest ratings decline across Major League Baseball, with only the Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals turning in worse numbers for regional games.

Heading into this week’s All-Star break, the Astros were in last place in the National League’s Central Division.

Of course, winning certainly helps. The teams with the biggest TV ratings boosts are the resurgent Chicago Cubs, holding down top spot in the NL Central Division, and the Tampa Bay Rays, fighting for first place in the American League East Division with the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox. The Cubs had a 51 percent ratings gain in the first half, while Tampa enjoyed a 31 percent boost.

Overall through the first half of the season, national network broadcasts on Fox and ESPN are down across the board, but television executives expect the numbers to improve in the second half when more Red Sox and New York Yankees games are tossed into the mix.