ALCS Game 1 ratings benefit from NFL lead-in

An NFL lead-in helped Game 1 of the ALCS to a Texas-sized audience on FOX, while the NLCS opened near a multi-year low on TBS.

Airing after the most-watched NFL window of the season, Sunday’s Rangers-Astros American League Championship Series Game 1 averaged a 3.7 rating and 7.02 million viewers on FOX — the largest Game 1 audience in the LCS since Dodgers-Cubs on FS1 in 2016 (7.31M) and the largest in the ALCS since Yankees-Rangers on TBS in 2010 (8.11M). Across all Fox platforms, the audience of 7.27 million was the highest for an LCS opener since Cubs-Mets on TBS in ’15 (7.89M).

Keep in mind it was the first LCS Game 1 to benefit from an NFL lead-in since 2012, when Cardinals-Giants opened with a 4.1 and 6.80 million on FOX. (Out-of-home viewing was not included in Nielsen’s final nationals prior to 2020).

Overall, the Rangers’ win was the most-watched postseason game of any kind — excluding the World Series — since the single-elimination Yankees-Red Sox AL Wild Card on ESPN and ESPN2 two years ago.

Ratings increased 19% and viewership 28% from last year’s Yankees-Astros ALCS opener, a Wednesday night game on TBS (3.1, 5.49M).

The strong start did not extend into Game 2 Monday afternoon, which averaged 4.37 million across FOX and FS1 — down 26% from last year’s Yankees-Astros in primetime a year ago (5.89M). The game averaged 4.46 million across all Fox platforms.

Shifting to the NLCS, Diamondbacks-Phillies Game 1 averaged a combined 3.83 million viewers across TBS (3.73M), truTV (52K) and MLB Network (57K) — down 7% from Phillies-Padres on FS1 last year (4.10M). The Phillies’ win aired opposite Monday Night Football; last year’s game did not face NFL competition.

Viewership topped only Game 1 of Astros-Rays in 2020 — which aired opposite both Sunday Night Football and the NBA Finals — as the least-watched LCS opener since Cardinals-Brewers in 2011 (3.35M).

Notably, truTV fared far worse with its “Peloteros” alternate presentation — featuring Pedro Martinez, Albert Pujols, Yonder Alonso, Néstor Cortés and more — than with the simulcast coverage it aired during the Division Series. Those simulcasts averaged 507,000 viewers, topping out at 722,000 for Phillies-Braves Game 2.

For more sports ratings, see the latest weekly chart. Additional information from Fox Sports PR and Sports TV Ratings 10.17)

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Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

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Comments 9

esl says:

3 years ago

Good numbers for the ALCS. The NFL lead in definitely makes a difference, but, also being on broadcast. The game 2 numbers on a Monday afternoon were decent for a time slot. 4.7 million. This would have been a lot lower if it was just on FS1 (probably around 3-3.5 million). The lack of broadcast coverage during the MLB postseason continues to be frustrating. Years ago, I understood Fox was trying to grow FS1 to compete with ESPN. They had the Cubs NLCS series in 2016 air exclusively on FS1. But those days are over. And, I thought this year, with the TV writers strike without any new scripted programming, this would be the opportunity for Fox to show more primetime games. All that is on are reality and game shows on Fox. For example, tonight, there is game 3 of the ALCS. 8pm. It is airing on FS1. Fox broadcast is showing the Masked Singer and a game show called Snake Oil. Last week neither had more than 3.2 million viewers. Although not as high as Sunday night (no NFL lead in), I imagine if tonight’s game was on broadcast, it would get around 6 million viewers (significantly more than what Fox is showing tonight). Paulsen, do you know why Fox does not put more games on broadcast during the post season? Is it a contractual thing that certain # of games need to be on FS1?
- Jon Lewis says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  I think FOX wants FS1 to have as many marquee games as possible. As far as tonight, I think the writers strike doesn’t really affect the FOX Wednesday night lineup, which has been anchored by The Masked Singer for a number of years now. Unlikely to see them preempt that.
  - Wyatt Smith says:
    
    3 years ago
    
    But why would Fox select the afternoon game 2 as the game to air on Broadcast instead of game 4 on Thursday night? (Wouldn’t fox want to air more games in primetime?)
    - Nolan Fleming says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      because afternoon playoff games are gonna get more views than any other daytime tv programming from other stations
    - Jon Lewis says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      I would say because a weekday afternoon game on FS1 alone would do a lot worse in the ratings than a primetime game on FS1 alone.
    - Stone says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      The afternoon playoff games on FOX have been a lead in to their primetime programming. Fox doesn’t really like to preempt new programming unless it’s the World Series.
    - Wyatt Smith says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      1 exception could be Fridays or Saturdays to do this since sports are regularly scheduled on those nights already
Wyatt Smith says:

3 years ago

Paulson, do you expect Fox in the future to use NFL as a lead in to its MLB primetime games when it’s possible to do so (I wouldn’t do it for the if necessary games, but now with no World Series game it’s harder to do so) however Monday’s game 2 was a mistake to be on afternoon (since Weekday afternoon games even on broadcast television doesn’t help) to me if you want a game on broadcast television to be good rated, put it in primetime, how is Fox thinking differently on this (since rn it has the game 7 in primetime for some wierd reason, I think those should of been flipped)
- Jon Lewis says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  I would imagine FOX will use that NFL lead-in when it can — as you said, maybe for an early game in the series that is guaranteed to happen. As for Game 2, if there are two LCS games in the same day, generally one will have to be in the afternoon. The practice has been if there’s a Game 2 and a Game 1 on the same day, the Game 2 will get the day window and the Game 1 will air in primetime.