Considering the presence of a Canadian team and competition from the vice presidential debate, it should be no surprise that the A.L. Wild Card Game hit a low.
Tuesday’s Orioles/Blue Jays American League Wild Card Game had a 2.6 final rating and 4.2 million viewers on TBS, down 47% in ratings and 45% in viewership from Astros/Yankees on ESPN last year (4.9, 7.6M) and down 21% and 20%, respectively, from A’s Royals in 2014 (3.3, 5.2M). Compared to last year’s N.L. Wild Card game on TBS, Cubs/Pirates, ratings fell 48% from a 5.0 and viewership 49% from 8.3 million.
The Blue Jays’ win delivered the smallest audience for a Wild Card game since the first one in 2012, Cardinals/Braves (4.0M). That game aired late on a Friday afternoon as the first half of a Wild Card doubleheader. It also tied the lowest rating ever for a Wild Card game, matching Cardinals/Braves.
Figures do not include viewership in Canada, which does not count toward U.S. television ratings. On Canadian network SportsNet, a simulcast of TBS coverage attracted 4.0 million viewers.
In addition to the Canada factor, Tuesday’s game also had to contend with the vice presidential debate. While the debate was the least-watched since 2000 and earned less than half the audience of the first presidential debate eight nights earlier, it still generated a formidable 37.1 million viewers.
In adults 18-49, Blue Jays/Orioles had just a 1.4 rating — down 39% from last year (2.3) and down 18% from 2014 (1.7).
(Tue. numbers via Programming Insider 10/5, SportsNet 10/5, Deadline 10/5)
