TBS drew solid numbers for the MLB Division Series over the weekend.
The deciding Game 3 of the Yankees/Twins series drew a 4.1 U.S. rating and 6.8 million viewers on TBS Sunday night, up 5% in ratings and 10% in viewership from Angels/Red Sox Game 3 last year (3.9, 6.2 mil), but down 24% and 20%, respectively, from Indians/Yankees Game 3 in ’07 (5.4, 8.5 mil).
The Yankees’ sweep of the Twins averaged a 4.2 U.S. rating and 6.6 million viewers, down 19% and 17%, respectively, from a 5.2 and 8 million for the Yankees’ four-game loss to the Indians in ’07.
The other AL Division Series also concluded on Sunday. The Angels’ series-clinching win over the Red Sox drew an 2.1 U.S. rating and 2.9 million viewers, up 33% in ratings and 32% in viewers from Phillies/Brewers Game 4 in a similar timeslot last year (1.5, 2.2 mil).
Overall, the Angels/Red Sox series averaged a 2.8 U.S. rating and 4.1 million viewers, down 22% and 28%, respectively, from a 3.6 and 5.7 million for last year’s four-game series between the same two teams. This was the second-lowest rated of the four Division Series meetings between the Angels and Red Sox this decade.
In the National League, the Dodgers’ series-clinching win over the Cardinals drew a 2.6 U.S. rating and 4 million viewers on Saturday night, off 10% and 12%, respectively, from Phillies/Brewers Game 3 in the comparable timeslot last year.
Dodgers/Cardinals Game 3 was the only Division Series game through Sunday to have a double-digit decline in ratings or viewership. As a whole, the 3-game series averaged a 3.1 U.S. rating and 4.7 million viewers — even in ratings and down slightly in viewers from a 3.1 and 4.8 million for the Dodgers/Cubs series last year.
Meanwhile, the Phillies’ Game 3 win over the Rockies drew a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.1 million viewers on TBS Sunday night. There was no game on the comparable night last year.
Entering Monday night’s Game 4 between the Phillies and Rockies, the 2009 MLB Division Series averaged a 3.1 U.S. rating and 4.7 million viewers on TBS, up 11% in ratings and 10% in viewership from the comparable point last year, but down 9% and 10%, respectively, from ’07.
Sources: Turner, TV By the Numbers, Fang’s Bites
