Final Numbers Dip For Giants/Mets, But Third-Best For Wild Card Game

It was not quite a record, as in the overnights, but the N.L. Wild Card Game delivered strong numbers on ESPN.

Wednesday’s Giants/Mets National League Wild Card Game earned a 4.5 final rating and 7.4 million viewers on ESPN, down 10% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Cubs/Pirates on TBS last year (5.0, 8.3M) but up 25% and 33%, respectively, from Giants/Pirates on ESPN in 2014 (3.6, 5.6M). Compared to last year’s Astros/Yankees A.L. Wild Card on ESPN, ratings fell 8% from 4.9 and viewership 2% from 7.6 million.

The Giants’ win, which peaked at 9.2 million viewers from 11-11:15 PM ET, earned the third-highest rating and viewership for an MLB Wild Card Game (10 telecasts dating back to 2012), behind only last year’s Cubs/Pirates and Astros/Yankees games.

It also ranks as the fourth-highest rated and second-most watched MLB game on ESPN since Game 3 of the 2003 Braves/Cubs Division Series (5.4, 8.1M) — trailing Twins/Yankees Game 2 in 2004 (4.7) and Angels/Yankees Game 3 in 2005 (4.9) in ratings and last year’s Astros/Yankees game in both measures. Keep in mind that does not include the Home Run Derby.

Figures do not include the streaming audience of 174,000 viewers on WatchESPN or the Spanish-language audience of 116,000 on ESPN Deportes. With those numbers added to the mix, Wednesday’s game had 7.7 million viewers.

In adults 18-49, ESPN’s telecast had a 2.2 rating — down 12% from Cubs/Pirates last year (2.6) but up 53% from Giants/Pirates in 2014 (1.5).

(Wed. numbers from ESPN Media Zone, ShowBuzz Daily 10/6)