Despite a strong finish, Turner Sports could not overcome a slow start for coverage of the 2011 Division Series.
TBS and TNT averaged a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.190 million viewers for coverage of the MLB Division Series (19 games), down 4% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (2.8, 4.434M), and down 13% and 12%, respectively, from 2009 (3.1, 4.769M).
Despite the decline, three of this year’s Division Series games — Tigers/Yankees Game 5 (9.720M), Cardinals/Phillies Game 5 (8.389M) and Yankees/Tigers Game 4 (7.012M) — drew more viewers than last year’s top game (TEX/TB G5: 6.410M).
The postseason got off to an extremely slow start, as TBS averaged a mere 1.9 and 3.002 million viewers for the first three days. The final five days of the playoffs averaged a much stronger 3.3 and 5.068 million, but that was not enough to pull even with last year.
Part of the problem was the new postseason schedule. Because the playoffs began on the weekend this year, the first several games had to compete with both college football and the NFL. In addition, there were three different occasions where games overlapped with each other.
For some perspective, TNT averaged a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.179 million viewers for coverage of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Keep in mind TNT’s first round telecasts were not exclusive, and the network did not air every first round game.
Ratings/Viewership For 2011 MLB Division Series
* Tigers/Yankees Game 1 began on Friday, September 30, but was suspended in the second inning.
|
2011 MLB DIVISON SERIES
|
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Date
|
Time
|
Game
|
#
|
Series
|
Net
|
U.S. Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
| Fri., 9/30/11 | 5 PM | TB 9, TEX 0 |
1
|
TB 1-0 | TBS |
1.9
|
2,866
|
| Sat., 10/1/11 | 2 PM | ARI 1, MIL 4 |
1
|
MIL 1-0 | TBS |
1.6
|
2,436
|
| 5 PM | STL 6, PHI 11 |
1
|
PHI 1-0 | TBS |
2.4
|
3,752
|
|
| 7 PM | TB 6, TEX 8 |
2
|
TIE 1-1 | TNT |
1.4
|
2,165
|
|
| 8:30 PM | DET 3, NYY 9* |
1
|
NYY 1-0 | TBS |
2.7
|
4,200
|
|
| Sun., 10/2/11 | 3 PM | DET 5, NYY 3 |
2
|
TIE 1-1 | TNT |
1.9
|
2,937
|
| 5 PM | ARI 4, MIL 9 |
2
|
MIL 2-0 | TBS |
1.3
|
2,132
|
|
| 8:30 PM | STL 5, PHI 4 |
2
|
TIE 1-1 | TBS |
2.3
|
3,749
|
|
| Mon., 10/3/11 | 5 PM | TEX 4, TB 3 |
3
|
TEX 2-1 | TBS |
2.3
|
3,474
|
| 8:30 PM | NYY 4, DET 5 |
3
|
DET 2-1 | TBS |
3.9
|
6,046
|
|
| Tue., 10/4/11 | 2 PM | TEX 4, TB 3 |
4
|
TEX 3-1 | TBS |
1.7
|
2,228
|
| 5 PM | PHI 3, STL 2 |
3
|
PHI 2-1 | TBS |
3.1
|
4,617
|
|
| 8:30 PM | NYY 10, DET 1 |
4
|
TIE 2-2 | TBS |
4.6
|
7,012
|
|
| 9:30 PM | MIL 1, ARI 8 |
3
|
MIL 2-1 | TNT |
1.2
|
2,107
|
|
| Wed., 10/5/11 | 6 PM | PHI 3, STL 5 |
4
|
TIE 2-2 | TBS |
3.0
|
4,507
|
| 9:30 PM | MIL 6, ARI 10 |
4
|
TIE 2-2 | TBS |
2.5
|
3,615
|
|
| Thu., 10/6/11 | 8 PM | DET 3, NYY 2 |
5
|
DET 3-2 | TBS |
6.2
|
9,720
|
| Fri., 10/7/11 | 5 PM | ARI 2, MIL 3 |
5
|
MIL 3-2 | TBS |
3.0
|
4,592
|
| 8:30 PM | STL 1, PHI 0 |
5
|
STL 3-2 | TBS |
5.1
|
8,389
|
|
(This year’s numbers from Turner Sports)
