Viewership for the NLCS continued to trail last year on FOX, but Game 4 put up more than respectable numbers.
Game 4 of the Cardinals/Giants National League Championship Series drew 5.1 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Wednesday night, down 37% from Red Sox/Tigers on FOX last year (8.1M) and down 15% from Giants/Cardinals on FOX in 2012 (6.0M). Last year’s Cardinals/Dodgers NLCS Game 4 on TBS drew 5.8 million.
Fox Deportes chipped in 234,000 viewers for its coverage, bringing the total up to approximately 5.3 million.
The Giants’ win ranks as the most-watched program ever on FS1 or predecessor Speed Channel, topping the previous mark of 4.4 million for Sunday’s Game 2. The MLB Postseason accounts for the four most-watched programs on FS1 since it rebranded from Speed last year, and six of the top ten.
As should be no surprise, the record numbers for FS1 are still fairly low for the MLB playoffs. All but one game on the network has had a double-digit decline in viewership from last year — Giants/Nationals Game 2 in the Division Series (+5%). Keep in mind Fox Sports 1 is in fewer homes than TBS and FOX, which aired last year’s games.
Locally, Game 4 drew a 24.3 rating in St. Louis and a 17.9 in the Bay Area, with Sacramento (13.0), Kansas City (8.1), and Las Vegas (5.4) rounding out the top five.
(Wed. numbers from Fox Sports)
