MLB Postseason: Tigers/Yankees Lowest Rated ALCS Ever; Still Up From ’11 NLCS

Not even the New York Yankees could give TBS strong numbers for a four-game sweep.

The four-game Tigers/Yankees American League Championship Series averaged a 3.8 U.S. rating and 5.924 million viewers on TBS, up 31% in ratings and 28% in viewership from last year’s six-game Cardinals/Brewers series (2.9, 4.612M), but down 26% and 28%, respectively, from the six-game Rangers/Yankees series in 2010 (5.1, 8.223M).

Compared to last year’s six-game Rangers/Tigers ALCS on FOX, ratings dropped 14% from a 4.4 average.

Tigers/Yankees ranks as the lowest rated American League Championship Series ever. The previous low was set last year.

Half of the games in the ALCS aired during the afternoon, which helped drag down the average. The two primetime games averaged a 4.1 U.S. rating and 6.6 million viewers, while the two afternoon games averaged a 3.3 and 5.2 million.

Also hurting the numbers, one of the two primetime games aired opposite a presidential debate.

Not surprisingly, the top game of the Tigers/Yankees series was Game 1 on Saturday (4.2, 6.847M), which aired in primetime and did not face notable competition.

To put that in perspective, the top game of last year’s Tigers/Yankees American League Division Series — the deciding Game 5 — attracted a 6.2 rating and 9.720 million viewers.

The Yankees’ ALCS appearances have been less and less of a draw over the years. Since Red Sox/Yankees averaged an 11.7 rating on FOX in 2004, the Yankees’ three most recent ALCS have averaged ratings of 6.5 (2009 against the Angels), 5.1 (2010 against the Rangers) and now 3.8 (this year).

Average Ratings/Viewership For MLB League Championship Series on TBS

Average Ratings For Yankees’ ALCS Appearances
Past decade

(Series average from Turner Sports press release)