This is key and it's shown to be true in every American sport.
If you want good ratings then you need the big franchises to be involved. Football needs the Cowboys, Steelers (kind of), The Football Team, the Raiders, or a team from a major market like the Giants, or Bears.
Baseball is "better" when the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, or a few others are making a lot of noise.
America will tune in to cheer against a giant franchise faster than they will to watch a couple of solid regional clubs. Basically the Mayweather effect.