After a pair of double-digit declines in the Wild Card round, the MLB Division Series got off to a good start in the ratings.
Thursday’s Cardinals-Braves National League Division Series Game 1 averaged a 2.2 rating and 3.51 million viewers on TBS, marking the most-watched NLDS opener in three years — since Giants-Cubs on FS1 in 2016 (5.71M).
The Cardinals’ comeback win increased 38% in ratings and 43% in viewership from last year on FS1 (Rockies-Brewers: 1.6, 2.46M), and 76% in the latter from 2017 on MLB Network (Red Sox-Astros: 1.99M).
Later in the night, Nationals-Dodgers Game 1 averaged a 2.0 and 3.51 million — up 54% in ratings and 65% in viewership from last year on MLB Network (Braves-Dodgers: 1.3, 2.12M), but down 13% and 8% from 2017 on FS1 (Yankees-Indians: 2.3, 3.79M).
With Cardinals-Braves running long, the first 47 minutes of the game aired on TNT, averaging a 0.6 and 1.01 million.
Overall, TBS averaged 3.5 million viewers for Thursday’s doubleheader, the highest for the first day of the Division Series since 2014. Viewership increased 9% from the last time TBS carried the NLDS in 2017. That year, it drew 3.50 million for Game 1 of Cubs-Nationals and 2.94 million for Game 1 of Diamondbacks-Dodgers.
Thursday’s results were a marked reversal from earlier in the week, when both Wild Card games declined double-digits.
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 10.4, Turner Sports PR/Twitter 10.4]
