The ALCS ended a bit early, but still delivered big numbers for TBS.
Thursday’s Red Sox-Astros American League Championship Series Game 5 earned a 4.0 rating and 6.52 million viewers on TBS, up 21% in ratings and 24% in viewership from Astros-Yankees on FS1 last year (3.3, 5.25M) and up 111% and 128% respectively from Indians-Blue Jays on TBS in 2016 (1.9, 2.86M). Both of those games aired in the afternoon.
Compared to last year’s LCS Game 5 on TBS, Dodgers-Cubs in the same Thursday night window, ratings and viewership increased 25 percent from a 3.2 and 5.23 million.
Boston’s win ranks as the highest rated LCS Game 5 on TBS since 2010 (Rangers-Yankees: 4.1) and the most-watched since 2009 (Dodgers-Phillies: 7.98M). Across all networks, it was only the top LCS Game 5 in two years, since Cubs-Dodgers on FS1 in 2016 (4.2, 7.19M).
Thursday’s game delivered the highest rating and viewership of the League Championship Series. The previous high was set by Game 4 the previous night (3.8, 6.18M).
Overall, it and ranks third for the postseason. Game 4 of the Red Sox-Yankees ALDS on TBS (4.4, 7.15M) and the Rockies-Cubs NL Wild Card on ESPN/ESPN2 (4.2, 6.99M) hold the top spots.
Game 5 trailed the competing Broncos-Cardinals Thursday Night Football game, which had a 5.6 and 9.10 million. It nearly doubled the late night Lakers-Blazers NBA game on TNT, which marked the Laker debut of LeBron James (2.1, 3.31M). In adults 18-49, the games were virtually even (MLB 1.59, NBA 1.57). The NBA came out ahead in adults 18-34 (1.55 to 1.09).
The complete ALCS averaged 5.8 million viewers on TBS, down 11% from last year’s Astros-Yankees series on FS1, which went to seven games (6.5M), but up 74% from 2016, which also ended in five (3.3M).
Compared to last year’s NLCS on TBS, viewership declined 7% from 6.2 million. Each of last year’s NLCS games aired in primetime, compared to four of five games in this year’s ALCS.
The full American League postseason on TBS averaged 4.93 million viewers, up 7% from last year, when the network carried National League games, and up 55% from AL coverage in 2016.
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 10.19, Turner Sports PR]
