Fueled by iconic teams from the nation’s largest markets, the Major League Baseball Division Series was the most-watched in seven years.
The MLB Division Series averaged 3.56 million viewers across Fox Sports and TBS, up 14% from last year and the highest average since 2017. The full Postseason, including the Wild Card Series, is averaging 3.33 million across Fox, TBS and ESPN (+18%).
As previously noted, Fox and FS1 averaged 4.09 million for the National League Division Series — up 9% from last year’s NL games on TBS. The ALDS averaged 3.0 million on TBS, up 20% from last year’s AL games on Fox Sports.
This year’s Division Series was the first since 2006 to feature the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees, who played in a combined 13 of the 18 total games. (In 2006, they combined to play in seven out of 14 total games, as the Mets and Dodgers faced each other in a three-game sweep.)
Furthermore, all four series were tied 1-1 after the first two games, a first under the LDS format.
In the final game of the Division Series, Saturday’s rescheduled Tigers-Guardians ALDS Game 5 averaged 3.4 million on TBS. The game was originally set for 8 PM ET but was moved up to 1 PM for weather-related reasons.
Cleveland’s win, which peaked with 4.2 million in the 4 PM ET quarter-hour, was the least-watched LDS Game 5 since Cardinals-Braves in 2019 — in which St. Louis scored ten runs in the first inning (3.33M) — but delivered the largest early afternoon LDS audience since 2007 (Red Sox-Angels Game 3: 4.20M).
Compared to the previous LDS Game 5 — a Guardians-Yankees matchup two years ago that was postponed from Monday night to Tuesday afternoon — viewership declined 31% from 4.95 million.
The other Game 5, Padres-Dodgers on FOX Friday night, averaged 7.24 million and was the most-watched LDS game since 2017.
