Saddled with the most undesirable timeslots, the Rays/Rangers series has been by far the worst television draw of the Division Series.
Sunday’s Rays/Rangers Game 4, which started at 1 PM ET, drew a 1.5 U.S. rating and 2.219 million viewers on TBS — down 29% in ratings and 24% in viewership from last year (LAA/BOS G3: 2.1, 2.936 mil) and even in both compared to 2008 (PHI/MIL G4: 1.5, 2.220 mil).
Game 4 is tied as the lowest rated, least-viewed MLB postseason game ever on TBS (dates back to 2006). The last playoff game to draw a lower rating was Athletics/Twins Game 1 in 2006 (1.4), which aired at 1 PM ET on a weekday.
This marks the third of four games in the Rays/Rangers series to draw less than a 2.0 rating. To put that in perspective, TBS had drawn less than a 2.0 just once over the previous three postseasons.
Saturday’s Game 3 did much better, earning a 2.2 U.S. rating and 3.513 million viewers — down 15% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (LAD/STL G3: 2.6, 4.021 mil) and down 24% and 23%, respectively, from 2008 (PHI/MIL G3: 2.9, 4.573 mil).
The higher rating for Game 3 can be partially attributed to the 5 PM start time — by far the latest for any game in the series.
Of the 13 Division Series games through Sunday, the Rays/Rangers series accounts for the four lowest ratings.
(Turner Sports)
