MLB Postseason: Viewership Down For Most Division Series Games on TBS

Viewership has declined for most of the Major League Baseball Division Series games thus far.

On Tuesday, Game 3 of the Tigers/Athletics American League Division Series drew 4.216 million viewers on TBS, down 40% from Yankees/Tigers Game 4 last year (7.012M), and down 9% from Phillies/Reds Game 3 on the fifth night of the 2010 postseason (4.653M).

Earlier in the night, Giants/Reds Game 3 drew 3.620 million — down 22% from Phillies/Cardinals Game 3 last year (4.617M), and down 15% from Giants/Braves Game 3 in 2010 (4.238M).

The previous night, Game 2 between the Yankees and Orioles scored 4.222 million viewers, down 30% from Yankees/Tigers Game 3 last year (6.046M), and down 12% from Twins/Yankees Game 3 of the fourth night of the 2010 postseason (4.810M).

In the first game of Monday’s doubleheader, Nationals/Cardinals Game 2 drew 2.670 million — down 23% from Rangers/Rays Game 3 last year (3.474M), and down 24% from Rays/Rangers Game 3 in 2010 (3.513M).

Only one game so far during the Division Series has managed an increase over last year — Sunday’s Yankees/Orioles Game 1. The game drew 3.749 million viewers, up 4% over Cardinals/Phillies Game 2 last year (3.749M), but down 18% from Braves/Giants 2 on the third night of the 2010 postseason (4.774M).

Viewership For First Five Days of MLB Postseason on TBS
With comparisons to last year’s comparable windows

(Numbers from The Futon Critic [1], [2], [3], TV By the Numbers)