Featuring arguably the best possible matchup, the National League Championship Series got off to a strong start in the ratings.
Game 1 of the Cubs/Mets NLCS earned a 4.5 rating and 7.9 million viewers on TBS Saturday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 25% in ratings and 34% in viewership from Royals/Orioles last year (3.6, 5.9M) and up 29% and 46%, respectively, from Dodgers/Cardinals in 2013 (3.5, 5.5M), both of which aired on a Friday night.
Compared to Game 1 of last year’s Giants/Cardinals NLCS on FOX, which took place on a Saturday, ratings and viewership increased by 45% and 58%, respectively, from a 3.1 and 5.0 million.
The Mets’ win, which peaked with 9.3 million viewers from 10-10:15 PM ET, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched LCS opener on any network since Yankees/Rangers on TBS in 2010 (5.0, 8.1M). Among N.L. series, it ranks as the highest rated LCS opener since Dodgers/Phillies in 2008 (5.1) and the most-watched since Cardinals/Mets in 2006 (8.5M).
Overall, Game 1 scored the second-largest baseball audience on cable since the 2011 Division Series — trailing only this year’s Cubs/Pirates Wild Card game (8.3M).
Given the market disparity, it should be no surprise that Saturday’s NLCS opener topped Game 1 of the Blue Jays/Royals ALCS on FOX (4.0, 6.5M). This is the third time in the past four years, and the fourth time in the past six, that TBS has gotten off to a better start than FOX for the LCS.
Through Saturday, TBS has averaged a 3.6 rating and 5.9 million viewers for coverage of the National League playoffs — up 38% in ratings and 41% in viewership from last year and the network’s highest average at this point of the MLB Postseason since it began airing the event in 2007.
Ratings/Viewership For LCS Openers
Since TBS began airing the event in 2007
| Year | TBS | FOX | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. | |
| 2015 | Cubs Mets |
4.5 | 7.9M | Blue Jays Royals |
4.0 | 6.5M |
| 2014 | Royals Orioles |
3.6 | 5.9M | Giants Cardinals |
3.1 | 5.0M |
| 2013 | Dodgers Cardinals |
3.5 | 5.5M | Tigers Red Sox |
4.2 | 6.8M |
| 2012 | Tigers Yankees |
4.2 | 6.8M | Cardinals Giants |
4.1 | 6.8M |
| 2011 | Cardinals Brewers |
2.1 | 3.4M | Tigers Rangers |
3.5 | 5.8M |
| 2010 | Yankees Rangers |
5.0 | 8.1M | Giants Phillies |
4.2 | 7.1M |
| 2009 | Phillies Dodgers |
4.3 | 6.9M | Angels Yankees |
5.2 | 8.4M |
| 2008 | Red Sox Rays |
4.1 | 6.7M | Dodgers Phillies |
5.1 | 7.7M |
| 2007 | Rockies D’Backs |
3.6 | 5.3M | Indians Red Sox |
4.8 | 7.4M |
(Sat. numbers from Turner Sports)
