Even with the low bar set last year, the first two games of the ALCS posted declines in viewership.
Game 1 of the Blue Jays/Indians American League Championship Series earned a 2.5 final rating and 4.1 million viewers on TBS Friday night, down 38% in ratings and 37% in viewership from Blue Jays/Royals on the FOX broadcast network last year (4.0, 6.5M) and down 31% in both measures from Royals/Orioles on TBS in 2014 (3.6, 5.9M).
Compared to Game 1 of last year’s Cubs/Mets NLCS on TBS, ratings fell 44% from a 4.5 and viewership 48% from 7.9 million.
Friday’s game earned the second-lowest rating and viewership ever for Game 1 of a League Championship Series in the United States, ahead of only Cardinals/Brewers on a Sunday afternoon in 2011 (2.1, 3.4M).
Game 2 of the series on Saturday afternoon had a 1.7 and 2.6 million — flat in ratings and down 2% in viewership from Blue Jays/Royals on Fox Sports 1 last year (1.7, 2.7M) and down 35% and 39%, respectively, from Royals/Orioles on TBS in 2014 (2.6, 4.3M). Compared to Cubs/Mets on TBS last year, which aired on a Sunday night, ratings fell 55% (from 3.8) and viewership 60% (from 6.6M).
Saturday’s game earned the third-smallest audience ever for any LCS telecast in the U.S., ahead of only Games 4 and 5 of last year’s ALCS on FS1.
Figures do not include Canadian viewership, which does count toward U.S. television ratings.
Overnights for Monday’s Game 3 were not immediately available.
(Wknd. numbers via Programming Insider 10/17, ShowBuzz Daily 10/18)
