A potentially strong World Series may soon make up the difference, but the MLB Postseason is trending behind last year’s pace.
Saturday’s Dodgers-Brewers National League Championship Series Game 7 earned a 4.05 rating and 7.34 million viewers on FS1, down 25% in ratings and 26% in viewership from the last LCS Game 7, Yankees-Astros last year (5.4, 9.92M). Versus the previous NLCS Game 7, Cardinals-Giants on FOX in 2012, ratings fell 17% (from 4.9) and viewership 9% (from 8.11M).
The Dodgers’ win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched MLB Game 7 on record. The previous lows were set by Cardinals-Giants in 2012, which aired opposite both Monday Night Football and a presidential debate.
As one would expect, Game 7 was the most-watched game of the postseason. It was not, however, the highest rated. Red Sox-Yankees Game 4 had a 4.4 on TBS in the Division Series, and the Rockies-Cubs NL Wild Card Game had a 4.2 on ESPN.
Game 7 topped a crowded night of sports, finishing ahead of the competing Ohio State-Purdue college football game on ABC (3.8, 6.29M). It also more-than-doubled the Rockets-Lakers NBA regular season game on ESPN, LeBron James‘ home debut as a Laker (2.0, 3.36M).
Game 6 last Friday night had a 3.4 and 5.78 million, down 29% in ratings and 30% in viewership from the last LCS Game 6, Yankees-Astros last year (4.8, 8.23M). Versus the previous NLCS Game 6 — Dodgers-Cubs in 2016 — ratings fell 35% (from 5.2) and viewership 40% (from 9.71M).
Whether compared to previous NLCS, or to last year’s ALCS on FS1, each game of the Dodgers-Brewers series posted a decline in ratings and viewership.
According to Sports Business Daily, FS1 averaged 3.76 million viewers for its coverage of the National League postseason, down 25% from last year, when it carried American League games (5.04M).
The complete postseason has averaged 4.39 million entering the World Series, down 8% from last year, but up 3% from 2016.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 10.23, Programming Insider 10.22, Sports Business Daily 10.23]
