A pair of winner-take-all Division Series matchups delivered solid, if not exactly spectacular, numbers for TBS Friday.
TBS averaged a 3.6 U.S. rating and 5.5 million viewers for Friday’s Division Series doubleheader, down 5% and 9%, respectively, from last year (3.8, 6.069M).
In particular, Game 5 of the Cardinals/Nationals National League Division Series earned a 3.7 U.S. rating and 5.9 million viewers on TBS Friday night, down 28% in ratings and 30% in viewership from Cardinals/Phillies Game 5 last year (5.1, 8.389M).
Despite the sizable decline, the game ranks as the highest rated and most-viewed of the 2012 postseason-to-date.
Earlier Friday, Game 5 of the Orioles/Yankees ALDS drew a 3.5 and 5.1 million — up 17% and 11%, respectively, from Diamondbacks/Brewers last year (3.0, 4.592M).
Though up from last year’s comparable game, the Yankees’ win came nowhere close to their Game 5 against the Tigers last year, which aired in primetime on a Thursday night (6.2, 9.720M).
Overall, the Yankees’ Division Series was not nearly as big a draw as last year. Three of last year’s Tigers/Yankees games drew more viewers than the top Yankees/Orioles game (5.777 million for Game 3).
Locally, Cardinals/Nationals earned a 29.8 rating in St. Louis, the market’s highest rating ever for Major League Baseball on TBS. In Washington, D.C., the game drew a 16.7. Meanwhile, Orioles/Yankees scored a 20.2 rating in Baltimore and a 12.3 in New York.
(Friday’s numbers from Turner Sports)
