League Championship Series numbers game

Ratings for every MLB League Championship Series game since ’02.

The 2008 Rays/Red Sox ALCS averaged a 4.6 U.S. rating and 7.4 million viewers on TBS, including a cable record 7.9 and 13.4 million for Game 7. Meanwhile, the Phillies/Dodgers NLCS averaged a 4.8 and 7.4 million on FOX, the lowest rated, least-viewed LCS ever on broadcast television.

Since ’03, when the League Championship Series (Marlins/Cubs and Yankees/Red Sox) averaged a 10.7 rating, ratings for the LCS have declined by over 50%.

Ratings/viewership for League Championship Series since ’02
All ratings are U.S. ratings
2002

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Tue., 10/8/02	Angels/Twins G1	8 PM	FOX	7.3/12	10.9 mil
Wed., 10/9/02	Angels Twins/G2 or Giants/Cardinals G1	8 PM	FOX	8.2/14	12.2 mil
Thu., 10/10/02	Giants/Cardinals G2	8 PM	FOX	6.2/10	9.0 mil
Fri., 10/11/02	Twins/Angels G3	8 PM	FOX	6.4/12	9.4 mil
Sat., 10/12/02	Cardinals/Giants G3	4 PM	FOX	4.6/11	6.7 mil
Sat., 10/12/02	Twins/Angels G4	8 PM	FOX	5.6/11	8.9 mil
Sun., 10/13/02	Twins/Angels G5	4 PM	FOX	6.1/12	9.2 mil
Sun., 10/13/02	Cardinals/Giants G4	8 PM	FOX	6.8/11	10.6 mil
Mon., 10/14/02	Cardinals/Giants G5	8 PM	FOX	6.9/11	10.3 mil

2003

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Tue., 10/7/03	Marlins/Cubs G1	8 PM	FOX	10.1/17	15.6 mil
Wed., 10/8/03	Marlins/Cubs G2 or Red Sox/Yankees G1	8 PM	FOX	12.0/20	18.4 mil
Thu., 10/9/03	Red Sox/Yankees G2	8 PM	FOX	8.7/14	13.2 mil
Fri., 10/10/03	Cubs/Marlins G3	8 PM	FOX	9.3/18	14.3 mil
Sat., 10/11/03	Yankees/Red Sox G3	4 PM	FOX	7.7/18	11.9 mil
Sat., 10/11/03	Cubs/Marlins G4	8 PM	FOX	7.3/14	11.3 mil
Sun., 10/12/03	Cubs/Marlins G5	4 PM	FOX	8.5/18	12.6 mil
Mon., 10/13/03	Yankees/Red Sox G4	8 PM	FOX	11.6/18	17.5 mil
Tue., 10/14/03	Yankees/Red Sox G5	4 PM	FOX	7.1/16	10.1 mil
Tue., 10/14/03	Marlins/Cubs G6	8 PM	FOX	12.6/20	19.4 mil
Wed., 10/15/03	Red Sox/Yankees G6	4 PM	FOX	9.4/21	13.9 mil
Wed., 10/15/03	Marlins/Cubs G7	8 PM	FOX	16.9/27	26.5 mil
Thu., 10/16/03	Red Sox/Yankees G7	8 PM	FOX	17.1/28	27.5 mil

2004

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Tue., 10/12/04	Red Sox/Yankees G1	8 PM	FOX	10.0/16	15.0 mil
Wed., 10/13/04	Red Sox/Yankees G2 or Astros/Cardinals G1	8 PM	FOX	10.1/16	15.2 mil
Thu., 10/14/04	Astros/Cardinals G2	8 PM	FOX	5.9/10	n/a
Sat., 10/16/04	Astros/Cardinals G3	4 PM	FOX	5.2/12	n/a
Sat., 10/16/04	Red Sox/Yankees G3	8 PM	FOX	7.8/15	n/a
Sun., 10/17/04	Astros/Cardinals G4	4 PM	FOX	6.7/13	n/a
Sun., 10/17/04	Red Sox/Yankees G4	8 PM	FOX	9.5/17	14.8 mil
Mon., 10/18/04	Red Sox/Yankees G5	5 PM	FOX	11.3/19	17.8 mil
Mon., 10/18/04	Astros/Cardinals G5	8 PM	FOX	9.8/17	15.0 mil
Tue., 10/19/04	Red Sox/Yankees G6	8 PM	FOX	15.6/25	25.0 mil
Wed., 10/20/04	Cardinals/Astros G6	4 PM	FOX	7.0/15	10.3 mil
Wed., 10/20/04	Red Sox/Yankees G7	8 PM	FOX	19.4/30	31.5 mil
Thu., 10/21/04	Cardinals/Astros G7	8 PM	FOX	13.0/20	19.8 mil

2005

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Tue., 10/11/05	Angels/White Sox G1	8 PM	FOX	7.7/12	11.5 mil
Wed., 10/12/05	Angels/White Sox G2 or Astros/Cardinals G1	8 PM	FOX	9.1/14	13.5 mil
Thu., 10/13/05	Astros/Cardinals G2	8 PM	FOX	6.7/11	9.9 mil
Fri., 10/14/05	White Sox/Angels G3	8 PM	FOX	6.2/11	9.6 mil
Sat., 10/15/05	Cardinals/Astros G3	4 PM	FOX	3.6/8	5.1 mil
Sat., 10/15/05	White Sox/Angels G4	8 PM	FOX	4.9/9	7.6 mil
Sun., 10/16/05	Cardinals/Astros G4	4 PM	FOX	6.3/12	9.8 mil
Sun., 10/16/05	White Sox/Angels G5	8 PM	FOX	7.2/11	11.3 mil
Mon., 10/17/05	Cardinals/Astros G5	8 PM	FOX	7.5/12	11.6 mil
Wed., 10/19/05	Astros/Cardinals	8 PM	FOX	9.4/15	14.1 mil

2006

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Tue., 10/10/06	Tigers/Athletics G1	8 PM	FOX	6.0/10	8.6 mil
Wed., 10/11/06	Tigers/Athletics G2	8 PM	FOX	6.8/11	9.9 mil
Thu., 10/12/06	Cardinals/Mets G1	8 PM	FOX	6.0/10	8.5 mil
Fri., 10/13/06	Athletics/Tigers G3	4 PM	FOX	3.7/9	5.0 mil
Fri., 10/13/06	Cardinals/Mets G2	8 PM	FOX	6.1/11	9.0 mil
Sat., 10/14/06	Athletics/Tigers G4	4 PM	FOX	5.2/12	7.7 mil
Sat., 10/14/06	Mets/Cardinals G3	8 PM	FOX	4.9/9	7.5 mil
Sun., 10/15/06	Mets/Cardinals G4	8 PM	FOX	5.8/9	8.6 mil
Tue., 10/17/06	Mets/Cardinals G5	8 PM	FOX	7.5/12	11.1 mil
Wed., 10/18/06	Cardinals/Mets G6	8 PM	FOX	8.0/13	11.7 mil
Thu., 10/19/06	Cardinals/Mets G7	8 PM	FOX	10.8/18	16.5 mil

2007

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Thu., 10/11/07	Rockies/D’Backs G1	8:30 PM	TBS	3.6/6	5.3 mil
Fri., 10/12/07	Indians/Red Sox G1	7 PM	FOX	4.8/9	7.4 mil
Fri., 10/12/07	Rockies/D’Backs G2	10 PM	TBS	2.2/6	3.3 mil
Sat., 10/13/07	Indians/Red Sox G2	8 PM	FOX	5.7/12	8.8 mil
Sun., 10/14/07	D’Backs/Rockies G3	8:30 PM	TBS	3.2/5	5.2 mil
Mon., 10/15/07	Red Sox/Indians G3	7 PM	FOX	6.6/11	9.9 mil
Mon., 10/15/07	D’Backs/Rockies G4	10 PM	TBS	2.5/6	3.8 mil
Tue., 10/16/07	Red Sox/Indians G4	8 PM	FOX	8.2/13	12.4 mil
Thu., 10/18/07	Red Sox/Indians G5	8 PM	FOX	8.5/14	13.1 mil
Sat., 10/20/07	Indians/Red Sox G6	8 PM	FOX	6.8/13	11.2 mil
Sun., 10/21/07	Indians/Red Sox G7	8 PM	FOX	11.7/18	19.2 mil

2008

Date	Game	Time	Net	Rating	Viewers
Thu., 10/9/08	Dodgers/Phillies G1	8 PM	FOX	5.1/8	7.7 mil
Fri., 10/10/08	Dodgers/Phillies G2	4:30 PM	FOX	3.4/8	5.0 mil
Fri., 10/10/08	Red Sox/Rays G1	8 PM	TBS	4.1/8	6.7 mil
Sat., 10/11/08	Red Sox/Rays G2	8 PM	TBS	3.8/8	6.1 mil
Sun., 10/12/08	Phillies/Dodgers G3	8 PM	FOX	5.6/9	8.8 mil
Mon., 10/13/08	Rays/Red Sox G3	4:30 PM	TBS	3.0/6	4.5 mil
Mon., 10/13/08	Phillies/Dodgers G4	8 PM	FOX	5.0/8	7.7 mil
Tue., 10/14/08	Rays/Red Sox G4	8 PM	TBS	3.8/6	5.7 mil
Wed., 10/15/08	Phillies/Dodgers G5	8 PM	FOX	5.1/8	8.0 mil
Thu., 10/16/08	Rays/Red Sox G5	8 PM	TBS	4.7/8	7.2 mil
Sat., 10/17/08	Red Sox/Rays G6	8 PM	TBS	5.4/10	8.9 mil
Sun., 10/18/08	Red Sox/Rays G7	8 PM	TBS	7.9/13	13.4 mil

Sources: Nielsen Wire, Media Life Magazine, Sports Business Daily

Tags: ALCS NLCS

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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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