Sports Media Watch
  • Games Today
  • Schedules
    • NFL
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Buffalo Bills
      • Carolina Panthers
      • Chicago Bears
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Denver Broncos
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • Miami Dolphins
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • New England Patriots
      • New Orleans Saints
      • New York Giants
      • New York Jets
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Tennessee Titans
      • Washington Commanders
    • NCAA
      • College Football
      • College Volleyball
      • Men’s College Basketball
      • Women’s College Basketball
      • College Softball
      • College Baseball
      • Men’s College Hockey
      • Women’s College Hockey
      • Field Hockey
      • College Gymnastics
      • Men’s College Lacrosse
      • Women’s College Lacrosse
      • College Wrestling
      • Men’s College Soccer
      • Women’s College Soccer
    • NBA
      • NBA Playoffs
      • Atlanta Hawks
      • Boston Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets
      • Charlotte Hornets
      • Chicago Bulls
      • Cleveland Cavaliers
      • Dallas Mavericks
      • Denver Nuggets
      • Detroit Pistons
      • Golden State Warriors
      • Houston Rockets
      • Indiana Pacers
      • Los Angeles Clippers
      • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Memphis Grizzlies
      • Miami Heat
      • Milwaukee Bucks
      • Minnesota Timberwolves
      • New Orleans Pelicans
      • New York Knicks
      • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Orlando Magic
      • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Phoenix Suns
      • Portland Trail Blazers
      • Sacramento Kings
      • San Antonio Spurs
      • Toronto Raptors
      • Utah Jazz
      • Washington Wizards
      • NBA G-League
      • FIBA
    • MLB
      • World Baseball Classic
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Athletics
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Houston Astros
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • Miami Marlins
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Minnesota Twins
      • New York Mets
      • New York Yankees
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
      • Seattle Mariners
      • St. Louis Cardinals
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Texas Rangers
      • Toronto Blue Jays
      • Washington Nationals
    • NHL
      • Stanley Cup Playoffs
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Calgary Flames
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Florida Panthers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Nashville Predators
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Ottawa Senators
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
      • Washington Capitals
      • Winnipeg Jets
      • IIHF
    • WNBA
      • Atlanta Dream
      • Chicago Sky
      • Connecticut Sun
      • Dallas Wings
      • Golden State Valkyries
      • Indiana Fever
      • Las Vegas Aces
      • Los Angeles Sparks
      • Minnesota Lynx
      • New York Liberty
      • Phoenix Mercury
      • Portland Fire
      • Seattle Storm
      • Toronto Tempo
      • Washington Mystics
    • Tennis
      • Australian Open
      • Indian Wells
      • Miami Open
      • French Open
      • Wimbledon
      • US Open
    • Golf
      • PGA Tour
      • LPGA
      • LIV Golf
      • TGL (Golf)
      • The Masters
      • PGA Championship
      • U.S. Open
      • U.S. Women’s Open
      • British Open
      • Ryder Cup
    • Soccer
      • FIFA World Cup
      • FIFA Club World Cup
      • Concacaf Gold Cup
      • UEFA Women’s Euros
      • Premier League
      • UEFA Champions League
      • MLS
      • NWSL
      • Serie A
      • Bundesliga
      • La Liga
    • Olympic Sports
      • Olympic Games
      • US Olympic Trials
      • Figure skating
      • Elite gymnastics
      • Track & Field
      • Cycling
    • Motorsports
      • NASCAR
      • Formula 1
      • IndyCar
      • NHRA
    • Little League
    • The Basketball Tournament
    • Premier Lacrosse League
    • CFL
    • Unrivaled (WBB)
    • UFC
    • PWHL
    • UFL
    • PBA Tour
  • Ratings
    • Ratings Tracker
    • Ratings Predictions
    • College Football TV Ratings
  • Features
    • Monday Musings
    • The Needle
    • On the Air
    • SMW Podcast
  • News
    • By sport
      • NFL
      • College football
      • NBA
      • WNBA
      • MLB
      • NHL
      • Soccer
      • Golf
      • Motorsports
      • Horse racing
      • Tennis
      • College basketball
      • Other College Sports
      • Combat sports
      • Olympics
      • Other sports
    • By network
      • RSNs
      • ESPN
      • ABC
      • FOX
      • NBC
      • CBS
      • TNT Sports
      • Amazon
      • Netflix
      • Apple
      • Golf Channel
      • NFL Network
      • MLB Network
      • Nexstar
      • Scripps
      • Univision
    • By topic
      • Rights Deals
      • Broadcasters
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Sports Media Watch
Today's Games
  • NBA Schedule
  • World Cup Schedule
  • All Schedules
  • Ratings Tracker
  • Ratings News
  • Podcast

Home › Featured › MLB League Championship Series Numbers Game

MLB League Championship Series Numbers Game

by Jon Lewis
15 years ago
Share
Share
  • Share on X (Twitter)
  • Share on Bluesky
  • Share on Threads
  • Share via Email
  • Copy Link
0

Ratings and viewership for the Major League Baseball League Championship Series dating back to 2002.

The 2011 LCS concluded over the weekend, as the Rangers and Cardinals both closed out their series in six games. Ratings declined by double-digits for both series.

In the American League, the Rangers/Tigers series averaged a 4.4 rating, down 20% from last year’s NLCS on the network (5.5). In the National League, Cardinals/Brewers averaged a mere 2.9 on TBS, down 43% from last year’s ALCS on the network (5.1), and the second-lowest rated LCS ever.

The numbers were certainly a far cry from previous years. It may seem like ancient history now, but the 2004 Red Sox/Yankees ALCS averaged a whopping 11.7 rating on FOX, up from a similarly massive 10.7 for the same matchup a year earlier.

Average Ratings For MLB League Championship Series since 2006

Game-by-Game LCS Ratings Dating Back to 2002
** Game 4 of 2011 ALCS was scheduled to begin at 4 PM ET, but did not start until shortly before 6:30 PM due to rain.
* Game aired as part of a split-national telecast.
^ Game 5 of 2004 NLCS did not air on FOX nationally until 11 PM ET due to extra innings in Game 5 of the ALCS.

2011

ALCS: RANGERS 4, TIGERS 2
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Sat., 10/8/11 8 PM DET 2, TEX 3
1
TEX 1-0
FOX
3.5
5,770
Mon., 10/10/11 4 PM DET 3, TEX 7
2
TEX 2-0
FOX
4.2
6,568
Tue., 10/11/11 8 PM TEX 2, DET 5
3
TEX 2-1
FOX
5.3
8,395
Wed., 10/12/11 4 PM** TEX 7, DET 3
4
TEX 3-1
FOX
5.2
8,370
Thu., 10/13/11 4 PM TEX 5, DET 7
5
TEX 3-2
FOX
3.9
5,675
Sat., 10/15/11 8 PM DET 5, TEX 15
6
TEX 4-2
FOX
4.6
7,702

NLCS: CARDINALS 4, BREWERS 2
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Sun., 10/9/11 4 PM STL 6, MIL 9
1
MIL 1-0
TBS
2.1
3,350
Mon., 10/10/11 8 PM STL 12, MIL 3
2
TIE 1-1
TBS
1.9
3,021
Wed., 10/12/11 8 PM MIL 3, STL 4
3
STL 2-1
TBS
2.8
4,282
Thu., 10/13/11 8 PM MIL 4, STL 2
4
TIE 2-2
TBS
3.7
5,650
Fri., 10/14/11 8 PM MIL 1, STL 7
5
STL 3-2
TBS
3.4
5,461
Sun., 10/16/11 8 PM STL 12, MIL 6
6
STL 4-2
TBS
3.6
5,938

2010

ALCS: RANGERS 4, YANKEES 2
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Fri., 10/15/10 8 PM NYY 6, TEX 5
1
NYY 1-0
TBS
5.0
8,111
Sat., 10/16/10 4 PM NYY 2, TEX 7
2
TIE 1-1
TBS
3.6
5,831
Mon., 10/18/10 8 PM TEX 8, NYY 0
3
TEX 2-1
TBS
5.2
8,214
Tue., 10/19/10 8 PM TEX 10, NYY 3
4
TEX 3-1
TBS
6.3
9,846
Wed., 10/20/10 4 PM TEX 2, NYY 7
5
TEX 3-2
TBS
4.1
6,107
Fri., 10/22/10 8 PM NYY 1, TEX 6
6
TEX 4-2
TBS
7.2
11,863

NLCS: GIANTS 4, PHILLIES 2
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Sat., 10/16/10 8 PM SF 4, PHI 3
1
SF 1-0
FOX
4.2
7,126
Sun., 10/17/10 8 PM SF 1, PHI 6
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
5.3
8,835
Tue., 10/19/10 4 PM PHI 0, SF 3
3
SF 2-1
FOX
3.3
5,040
Wed., 10/20/10 8 PM PHI 5, SF 6
4
SF 3-1
FOX
5.7
9,274
Thu., 10/21/10 8 PM PHI 4, SF 2
5
SF 3-2
FOX
6.9
11,196
Sat., 10/22/10 8 PM SF 3, PHI 2
6
SF 4-2
FOX
6.7
11,639

2009

ALCS: YANKEES 4, ANGELS 2
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Fri., 10/16/09 8 PM LAA 1, NYY 4
1
NYY 1-0
FOX
5.2
8,439
Sat., 10/17/09 8 PM LAA 3, NYY 4
2
NYY 2-0
FOX
5.8
9,379
Mon., 10/19/09 4 PM NYY 4, LAA 5
3
NYY 2-1
FOX
4.8
7,247
Tue., 10/20/09 8 PM NYY 10, LAA 1
4
NYY 3-1
FOX
6.7
10,303
Thu., 10/22/09 8 PM NYY 6, LAA 7
5
NYY 3-2
FOX
7.6
11,851
Sun., 10/25/09 8 PM LAA 2, NYY 5
6
NYY 4-2
FOX
9.3
15,481

NLCS: PHILLIES 4, DODGERS 1
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Thu., 10/15/09 8 PM PHI 8, LAD 6
1
PHI 1-0
TBS
4.3
6,855
Fri., 10/16/09 4 PM PHI 1, LAD 2
2
TIE 1-1
TBS
2.9
4,429
Sun., 10/18/09 8 PM LAD 0, PHI 11
3
PHI 2-1
TBS
3.0
5,035
Mon., 10/19/09 8 PM LAD 4, PHI 5
4
PHI 3-1
TBS
3.4
5,644
Wed., 10/21/09 8 PM LAD 4, PHI 10
5
PHI 4-1
TBS
5.0
7,978

2008

ALCS: RAYS 4, RED SOX 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Fri., 10/10/08 8 PM BOS 2, TB 0
1
BOS 1-0
TBS
4.1
6,689
Sat., 10/11/08 8 PM BOS 8, TB 9
2
TIE 1-1
TBS
3.8
6,089
Mon., 10/13/08 4:30 PM TB 9, BOS 1
3
TB 2-1
TBS
3.0
4,499
Tue., 10/14/08 8 PM TB 13, BOS 4
4
TB 3-1
TBS
3.8
5,732
Thu., 10/16/08 8 PM TB 7, BOS 8
5
TB 3-2
TBS
4.7
7,211
Sat., 10/17/08 8 PM BOS 4, TB 2
6
TIE 3-3
TBS
5.4
8,928
Sun., 10/18/08 8 PM BOS 1, TB 3
7
TB 4-3
TBS
7.9
13,357

NLCS: PHILLIES 4, DODGERS 1
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Thu., 10/9/08 8 PM LAD 2, PHI 3
1
PHI 1-0
FOX
5.1
7,735
Fri., 10/10/08 4:30 PM LAD 5, PHI 8
2
PHI 2-0
FOX
3.4
5,022
Sun., 10/12/08 8 PM PHI 2, LAD 7
3
PHI 2-1
FOX
5.6
8,837
Mon., 10/13/08 8 PM PHI 7, LAD 5
4
PHI 3-1
FOX
5.0
7,705
Wed., 10/15/08 8 PM PHI 5, LAD 1
5
PHI 4-1
FOX
5.1
8,029

2007

ALCS: RED SOX 4, INDIANS 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Fri., 10/12/07 7 PM CLE 3, BOS 10
1
BOS 1-0
FOX
4.8
7,425
Sat., 10/13/07 8 PM CLE 13, BOS 6
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
5.8
8,789
Mon., 10/15/07 7 PM BOS 2, CLE 4
3
CLE 2-1
FOX
6.7
9,907
Tue., 10/16/07 8 PM BOS 3, CLE 7
4
CLE 3-1
FOX
8.2
12,367
Thu., 10/18/07 8 PM BOS 7, CLE 1
5
CLE 3-2
FOX
8.5
13,101
Sat., 10/20/07 8 PM CLE 2, BOS 12
6
TIE 3-3
FOX
6.8
11,153
Sun., 10/21/07 8 PM CLE 2, BOS 11
7
BOS 4-3
FOX
11.7
19,154

NLCS: ROCKIES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 0
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Thu., 10/11/07 8:30 PM COL 5, ARI 1
1
COL 1-0
TBS
3.6
5,286
Fri., 10/12/07 10 PM COL 3, ARI 2
2
COL 2-0
TBS
2.2
3,323
Sun., 10/14/07 8:30 PM ARI 1, COL 4
3
COL 3-0
TBS
3.2
5,158
Mon., 10/15/07 10 PM ARI 4, COL 6
4
COL 4-0
TBS
2.5
3,803

2006

ALCS: TIGERS 4, ATHLETICS 0
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Tue., 10/10/06 8 PM DET 5, OAK 1
1
DET 1-0
FOX
6.0
8,587
Wed., 10/11/06 8 PM DET 8, OAK 5
2
DET 2-0
FOX
6.8
9,866
Fri., 10/13/06 4 PM OAK 0, DET 3
3
DET 3-0
FOX
3.7
5,022
Sat., 10/14/06 4 PM OAK 3, DET 6
4
DET 4-0
FOX
5.2
7,724

NLCS: CARDINALS 4, METS 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Thu., 10/12/06 8 PM STL 0, NYM 2
1
NYM 1-0
FOX
6.0
8,509
Fri., 10/13/06 8 PM STL 9, NYM 6
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
6.1
9,010
Sat., 10/14/06 8 PM NYM 0, STL 5
3
STL 2-1
FOX
4.9
7,511
Sun., 10/15/06 8 PM NYM 12, STL 5
4
TIE 2-2
FOX
5.8
8,571
Tue., 10/17/06 8 PM NYM 2, STL 4
5
STL 3-2
FOX
7.5
11,123
Wed., 10/18/06 8 PM STL 2, NYM 4
6
TIE 3-3
FOX
8.0
11,666
Thu., 10/19/06 8 PM STL 3, NYM 1
7
STL 4-3
FOX
10.8
16,528

2005

ALCS: WHITE SOX 4, ANGELS 1
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Tue., 10/11/05 8 PM LAA 3, CHW 2
1
LAA 1-0
FOX
7.7
11,479
Wed., 10/12/05 8 PM* LAA 1, CHW 2
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
9.1
13,511
Fri., 10/14/05 8 PM CHW 5, LAA 2
3
CHW 2-1
FOX
6.2
9,641
Sat., 10/15/05 8 PM CHW 8, LAA 2
4
CHW 3-1
FOX
4.9
7,586
Sun., 10/16/05 8 PM CHW 6, LAA 3
5
CHW 4-1
FOX
7.2
11,280

NLCS: ASTROS 4, CARDINALS 2
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Wed., 10/12/05 8 PM* HOU 3, STL 5
1
STL 1-0
FOX
9.1
13,511
Thu., 10/13/05 8 PM HOU 4, STL 1
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
6.7
9,906
Sat., 10/15/05 4 PM STL 3, HOU 4
3
HOU 2-1
FOX
3.6
5,126
Sun., 10/16/05 4 PM STL 1, HOU 2
4
HOU 3-1
FOX
6.3
9,777
Mon., 10/17/05 8 PM STL 5, HOU 4
5
HOU 3-2
FOX
7.5
11,612
Wed., 10/19/05 8 PM HOU 5, STL 1
6
HOU 4-2
FOX
9.4
14,121

2004

ALCS: RED SOX 4, YANKEES 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Tue., 10/12/04 8 PM BOS 7, NYY 10
1
NYY 1-0
FOX
10.0
15,010
Wed., 10/13/04 8 PM* BOS 1, NYY 3
2
NYY 2-0
FOX
10.1
15,226
Sat., 10/16/04 8 PM NYY 19, BOS 8
3
NYY 3-0
FOX
7.8
12,468
Sun., 10/17/04 8 PM NYY 4, BOS 6
4
NYY 3-1
FOX
9.5
14,821
Mon., 10/18/04 5 PM NYY 4, BOS 5
5
NYY 3-2
FOX
11.3
17,798
Tue., 10/19/04 8 PM BOS 4, NYY 2
6
TIE 3-3
FOX
15.6
25,088
Wed., 10/20/04 8 PM BOS 10, NYY 3
7
BOS 4-3
FOX
19.4
31,460

NLCS: CARDINALS 4, ASTROS 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Wed., 10/13/04 8 PM* HOU 7, STL 10
1
STL 1-0
FOX
10.1
15,226
Thu., 10/14/04 8 PM HOU 4, STL 6
2
STL 2-0
FOX
5.9
8,471
Sat., 10/16/04 4 PM STL 2, HOU 5
3
STL 2-1
FOX
5.2
7,479
Sun., 10/17/04 4 PM STL 5, HOU 6
4
TIE 2-2
FOX
6.7
10,015
Mon., 10/18/04 8 PM^ STL 0, HOU 3
5
HOU 3-2
FOX
9.8
14,982
Wed., 10/20/04 4 PM HOU 4, STL 6
6
TIE 3-3
FOX
7.0
10,255
Thu., 10/21/04 8 PM HOU 2, STL 5
7
STL 4-3
FOX
13.0
19,808

2003

ALCS: YANKEES 4, RED SOX 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Wed., 10/8/03 8 PM* BOS 5, NYY 2
1
BOS 1-0
FOX
12.0
18,433
Thu., 10/9/03 8 PM BOS 2, NYY 6
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
8.7
13,154
Sat., 10/11/03 4 PM NYY 4, BOS 3
3
NYY 2-1
FOX
7.7
11,902
Mon., 10/13/03 8 PM NYY 2, BOS 3
4
TIE 2-2
FOX
11.6
17,495
Tue., 10/14/03 4 PM NYY 4, BOS 2
5
NYY 3-2
FOX
7.1
10,110
Wed., 10/15/03 4 PM BOS 9, NYY 6
6
TIE 3-3
FOX
9.4
13,931
Thu., 10/16/03 8 PM BOS 5, NYY 6
7
NYY 4-3
FOX
17.1
27,485

NLCS: MARLINS 4, CUBS 3
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Tue., 10/7/03 8 PM FLA 9, CHC 8
1
FLA 1-0
FOX
10.1
15,569
Wed., 10/8/03 8 PM* FLA 3, CHC 12
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
12.0
18,433
Fri., 10/10/03 8 PM CHC 5, FLA 4
3
CHC 2-1
FOX
9.3
14,291
Sat., 10/11/03 8 PM CHC 8, FLA 3
4
CHC 3-1
FOX
7.3
11,343
Sun., 10/12/03 4 PM CHC 0, FLA 4
5
CHC 3-2
FOX
8.5
12,637
Tue., 10/14/03 8 PM FLA 8, CHC 3
6
TIE 3-3
FOX
12.6
19,357
Wed., 10/15/03 8 PM FLA 9, CHC 6
7
FLA 4-3
FOX
16.9
26,505

2002

ALCS: ANGELS 4, TWINS 1
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Tue., 10/8/02 8 PM ANA 1, MIN 2
1
MIN 1-0
FOX
7.3
10,872
Wed., 10/9/02 8 PM* ANA 6, MIN 3
2
TIE 1-1
FOX
8.2
12,162
Fri., 10/11/02 8 PM MIN 1, ANA 2
3
ANA 2-1
FOX
6.4
9,373
Sat., 10/12/02 8 PM MIN 1, ANA 7
4
ANA 3-1
FOX
5.6
8,934
Sun., 10/13/02 4 PM MIN 5, ANA 13
5
ANA 4-1
FOX
6.1
9,206

NLCS: GIANTS 4, CARDINALS 1
Date
Time
Game
#
Series
Net
U.S. Rating
Viewers (000)
Wed., 10/9/02 8 PM* SF 9, STL 6
1
SF 1-0
FOX
8.2
12,162
Thu., 10/10/02 8 PM SF 4, STL 1
2
SF 2-0
FOX
6.2
8,953
Sat., 10/12/02 4 PM STL 5, SF 4
3
SF 2-1
FOX
4.6
6,740
Sun., 10/13/02 8 PM STL 3, SF 4
4
SF 3-1
FOX
6.8
10,638
Mon., 10/14/02 8 PM STL 1, SF 2
5
SF 4-1
FOX
6.9
10,314

Tags: Final RatingsMLB Postseason 2011MLB Postseason TV RatingsMLB Ratings
Previous Post

ALCS: Rangers/Tigers Ends on Low Note

Next Post

World Series: 9.6 Overnight For Game 1, Lowest Since ’06

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

Related

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) delivers against Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter (24) in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Solid audience for NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball debut

by Jon Lewis
2 months ago
16

"Sunday Night Baseball" was not exactly a home run in its NBC debut, but whether on the diamond or...

Mar 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas (right) interviews Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

MLB’s return to NBC hits Opening Day high

by Jon Lewis
2 months ago
7

The new era of Major League Baseball on NBC began on strong note.

Nov 5, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Teoscar Hernandez, majority owner Mark Walter, minority owner Magic Johnson, Tyler Glasnow, Will Smith, Blake Snell, Mookie Betts, Alex Call and Evan Phillips pose for a photo during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Needle: NBA vs. MLB Tale of the Tape, Part III

by Jon Lewis
2 months ago
32

A deep dive into how the NBA and Major League Baseball compare as television draws, in the wake of...

Mar 9, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States infielder Brice Turang (13) attempts to slide home in the second inning against Mexico at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

World Baseball Classic tops five million mark for U.S.-Mexico

by Jon Lewis
3 months ago
21

It remains to be seen how long the good times will last, but so far World Baseball Classic viewership...

Sponsored
Xfinity_logo

Xfinity

The football you want, all on Xfinity. Sports & News TV has the channels you need to catch games from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and through Sunday Night - all at just $70/mo.

Learn More
This site may receive a commission.
Sports Ratings Tracker
logoColonial
Last weekend’s final round of the PGA Tour at Colonial averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.40 million viewers on CBS, marking the top audience for the event in four years. (Note that changes in Nielsen methodology skew comparisons to past years.) Read more
logoWCWS
Entering the Texas-Texas Tech final, the Women’s College World Series was averaging 1.5 million viewers on ESPN — up a third from last year and the highest average on record prior to the final. (Note that changes in Nielsen methodology skew comparisons to past years, particularly those prior to 2020, when the company began tracking out-of-home viewing in its estimates.) Read more
logoUSMNT-Senegal
Last Sunday’s United States-Senegal men’s soccer friendly averaged 867,000 viewers on TBS, the most-watched USMNT match yet on TNT Sports. The United States’ win, which peaked with 1.1 million viewers, also ranks as the most-watched USMNT friendly on any network since 2019.
logoNHRA
Last Sunday’s NHRA Potomac Nationals averaged 905,000 viewers on FOX in a post-IndyCar window, up 15% from last year (789K). The telecast was the first NHRA event of the season on broadcast.
logoWNBA on Prime
Amazon Prime Video averaged 549,000 viewers for its May 28 WNBA doubleheader, up considerably from the previous week — when coverage aired opposite the NBA conference finals (161K) — and also up from the streamer’s season debut May 14 (529K). Read more
logoUFL regular season
The recently-completed UFL regular season averaged 686,000 viewers across the ESPN family of networks (which now includes NFL Network), up 8% from last year. The ESPN networks accounted for nine of the ten most-watched games — with ABC alone accounting for eight — the lone exception being the Louisville-Dallas game on FOX that followed the Indy 500. Read more
logoRecent WNBA
Last Saturday’s Fever-Fire WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.8 rating and nearly 1.3 million viewers on CBS, marking the least-watched Fever game on the network since Caitlin Clark was drafted (six total), including two primetime games last season that she missed due to injury. (Note that the five previous games pit Indiana against the New York or Chicago, rather than expansion Portland.) Read more
Add SMW as a trusted source in Google News.

Latest Posts

Cup Final ratings, viewership, maintain hot pace in Game 2

Texas two-step: Longhorn clincher sets WCWS mark for second-straight year

Longtime Bulls analyst Stacey King has died

On the Air: The staying power of NBA Finals voice Mike Breen

Knicks-Spurs opener nears 17 million viewers in NBA’s top game since 2019

News: Duke-Michigan, Peacock, NFL Network and more

Sports Media Watch

About • Contact • Report an Error • Privacy

© 2026 Jon Lewis, Sports Media Watch

No Result
View All Result
  • Games Today
  • Schedules
    • NFL
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Buffalo Bills
      • Carolina Panthers
      • Chicago Bears
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Denver Broncos
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • Miami Dolphins
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • New England Patriots
      • New Orleans Saints
      • New York Giants
      • New York Jets
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Tennessee Titans
      • Washington Commanders
    • NCAA
      • College Football
      • College Volleyball
      • Men’s College Basketball
      • Women’s College Basketball
      • College Softball
      • College Baseball
      • Men’s College Hockey
      • Women’s College Hockey
      • Field Hockey
      • College Gymnastics
      • Men’s College Lacrosse
      • Women’s College Lacrosse
      • College Wrestling
      • Men’s College Soccer
      • Women’s College Soccer
    • NBA
      • NBA Playoffs
      • Atlanta Hawks
      • Boston Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets
      • Charlotte Hornets
      • Chicago Bulls
      • Cleveland Cavaliers
      • Dallas Mavericks
      • Denver Nuggets
      • Detroit Pistons
      • Golden State Warriors
      • Houston Rockets
      • Indiana Pacers
      • Los Angeles Clippers
      • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Memphis Grizzlies
      • Miami Heat
      • Milwaukee Bucks
      • Minnesota Timberwolves
      • New Orleans Pelicans
      • New York Knicks
      • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Orlando Magic
      • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Phoenix Suns
      • Portland Trail Blazers
      • Sacramento Kings
      • San Antonio Spurs
      • Toronto Raptors
      • Utah Jazz
      • Washington Wizards
      • NBA G-League
      • FIBA
    • MLB
      • World Baseball Classic
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Athletics
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Houston Astros
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • Miami Marlins
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Minnesota Twins
      • New York Mets
      • New York Yankees
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
      • Seattle Mariners
      • St. Louis Cardinals
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Texas Rangers
      • Toronto Blue Jays
      • Washington Nationals
    • NHL
      • Stanley Cup Playoffs
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Calgary Flames
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Florida Panthers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Nashville Predators
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Ottawa Senators
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
      • Washington Capitals
      • Winnipeg Jets
      • IIHF
    • WNBA
      • Atlanta Dream
      • Chicago Sky
      • Connecticut Sun
      • Dallas Wings
      • Golden State Valkyries
      • Indiana Fever
      • Las Vegas Aces
      • Los Angeles Sparks
      • Minnesota Lynx
      • New York Liberty
      • Phoenix Mercury
      • Portland Fire
      • Seattle Storm
      • Toronto Tempo
      • Washington Mystics
    • Tennis
      • Australian Open
      • Indian Wells
      • Miami Open
      • French Open
      • Wimbledon
      • US Open
    • Golf
      • PGA Tour
      • LPGA
      • LIV Golf
      • TGL (Golf)
      • The Masters
      • PGA Championship
      • U.S. Open
      • U.S. Women’s Open
      • British Open
      • Ryder Cup
    • Soccer
      • FIFA World Cup
      • FIFA Club World Cup
      • Concacaf Gold Cup
      • UEFA Women’s Euros
      • Premier League
      • UEFA Champions League
      • MLS
      • NWSL
      • Serie A
      • Bundesliga
      • La Liga
    • Olympic Sports
      • Olympic Games
      • US Olympic Trials
      • Figure skating
      • Elite gymnastics
      • Track & Field
      • Cycling
    • Motorsports
      • NASCAR
      • Formula 1
      • IndyCar
      • NHRA
    • Little League
    • The Basketball Tournament
    • Premier Lacrosse League
    • CFL
    • Unrivaled (WBB)
    • UFC
    • PWHL
    • UFL
    • PBA Tour
  • Ratings
    • Ratings Tracker
    • Ratings Predictions
    • College Football TV Ratings
  • Features
    • Monday Musings
    • The Needle
    • On the Air
    • SMW Podcast
  • News
    • By sport
      • NFL
      • College football
      • NBA
      • WNBA
      • MLB
      • NHL
      • Soccer
      • Golf
      • Motorsports
      • Horse racing
      • Tennis
      • College basketball
      • Other College Sports
      • Combat sports
      • Olympics
      • Other sports
    • By network
      • RSNs
      • ESPN
      • ABC
      • FOX
      • NBC
      • CBS
      • TNT Sports
      • Amazon
      • Netflix
      • Apple
      • Golf Channel
      • NFL Network
      • MLB Network
      • Nexstar
      • Scripps
      • Univision
    • By topic
      • Rights Deals
      • Broadcasters
  • Contact

© 2026 Jon Lewis, Sports Media Watch