Though below what one might expect for such a made-for-TV matchup, Game 2 of the National League Championship Series still did well for TBS.
Game 2 of the Cubs/Mets NLCS earned a 3.8 rating and 6.6 million viewers on TBS Sunday night, per Nielsen fast-nationals — up 46% in ratings and 55% in viewership from Royals/Orioles last year (2.6, 4.3M) and up 73% and 91%, respectively, from Dodgers/Cardinals in 2013 (2.2, 3.4M), both of which aired on a Saturday afternoon.
Compared to Game 2 of last year’s Giants/Cardinals NLCS, which aired on Fox Sports 1 in the same Sunday night timeslot, ratings and viewership increased by 46% and 51%, respectively, from a 2.6 and 4.4 million.
The Mets’ win, which peaked with 7.5 million viewers from 9-9:15 PM ET, ranks as the most-watched LCS Game 2 ever on TBS and is tied as the highest rated — matching Red Sox/Rays in 2008. Keep in mind most of the previous games aired in afternoon timeslots.
It could not match Saturday’s series opener, however, which had a 4.5 and 7.9 million in the fast-nationals. Keep in mind Game 2 faced tougher competition, airing opposite NBC’s Sunday Night Football and AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Through two games, the NLCS has averaged a 4.1 rating and 7.2 million viewers on TBS — up 32% in ratings and 41% in viewership from Royals/Orioles last year (3.1, 5.1M) and up 37% and 53%, respectively, from Cardinals/Dodgers in 2013 (3.0, 4.7M). The series ranks as the most-watched LCS ever on TBS through two games and trails only Rangers/Yankees in 2010 (4.3) as the highest rated.
(Sun. numbers/two-game avg. from Turner Sports)
