The American League postseason is shaping up as a ratings bonanza for TBS, but it did not get off to the greatest start.
Wednesday’s A’s-Yankees American League Wild Card game had a 3.8 rating and 6.16 million viewers on TBS, down 10% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year on ESPN (Twins-Yankees: 4.2, 6.83M) but up 46% in both measures from 2016 on TBS (Orioles-Blue Jays: 2.6, 4.20M).
Keep in mind last year’s ESPN figures include streaming. Comparing apples-to-apples, this year’s TV-plus-streaming audience declined six percent (from 6.8 to 6.4 million).
Compared to last year’s Wild Card game on TBS, Rockies-Diamondbacks in the National League, ratings increased 46% (from 2.6) and viewership 40% (from 4.40M).
With or without streaming included, the Yankees’ win ranks sixth out of the 14 all-time MLB Wild Card games (dates back to 2012). Among the nine such games on TBS, it ranks second.
In the Nielsen fast-nationals, viewership peaked at 7.5 million from 9:15-9:30 PM ET.
A’s-Yankees scored a 1.8 rating in adults 18-49, down 14% from last year (2.1) but up 29% from 2016 (1.4). Ratings in adults 18-34 fell a much steeper 26 percent (from 1.9 to 1.4). Despite the declines, it was the top television program of the night in both demos.
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 10.4, Turner Sports PR]
