Entering the League Championship Series, ratings and viewership increased for the MLB playoffs on TBS.
TBS averaged a 2.5 U.S. rating and 3.9 million viewers for coverage of the MLB Postseason through the Division Series, up a tick in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (2.4, 3.6M), but down 7% in both measures from 2011 (2.7, 4.2M). The averages do not include the two games on MLB Network.
Despite the increase, this marks Turner Sports’ second-worst average through the Division Series in seven years televising the postseason.
Keep in mind the Yankees did not make the playoffs this year. The last time the Yankees missed the playoffs (2008), TBS averaged a 2.8 and 4.3 million viewers through the Division Series.
The final game of the Division Series, Thursday’s Game 5 of the Tigers/A’s ALDS, earned 5.5 million viewers on TBS — down 35% from Cardinals/Phillies Game 5 in 2011 (8.4M). There were no comparable games last year, as the Division Series was scheduled for only seven days instead of the customary eight.
Tigers/A’s Game 5 earned the second-largest audience of the postseason-to-date (does not include Friday’s NLCS Game 1), trailing only Game 5 between the Pirates and Cardinals the previous night (6.1M).
Average Viewership For MLB Playoffs on TBS Through the Division Series
Dating back to 2007
|
Year
|
Net
|
# of GMs
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | TBS | 18 | 2.5 | 3.89M |
| 2012 | TBS, TNT | 20 | 2.4 | 3.63M |
| 2011 | TBS, TNT | 19 | 2.7 | 4.19M |
| 2010 | TBS | 15 | 2.8 | 4.43M |
| 2009 | TBS | 13 | 3.1 | 4.77M |
| 2008 | TBS | 15 | 2.8 | 4.28M |
| 2007 | TBS | 13 | 3.7 | 5.71M |
(Thu. viewership and playoff-to-date avg. from Turner Sports)
