The Yankees helped MLB Network to its second-largest audience on record.
Friday’s Twins-Yankees American League Division Series Game 1 averaged a 1.9 rating and 3.4 million viewers on MLB Network, per Nielsen fast-nationals — the second-largest audience in the network’s ten-year history. Game 2 of the 2016 Giants-Cubs NLDS holds the top spot (4.11M).
The previous second-place mark was 3.20 million, set by the Yankees’ only other playoff appearance on the network (Yankees-Indians Game 2 in 2017).
New York’s win, which peaked with 4.4 million viewers from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, also tied the second-highest rating in network history — matching Yankees-Indians in ’17 and behind only Giants-Cubs in ’16 (2.5).
Ratings increased 46% and viewership 60% from MLB Network’s first playoff game last year, which aired on a Thursday night (Braves-Dodgers Game 1: 1.3, 2.12M).
Versus the same Friday night window last year — Yankees-Red Sox Game 1 on TBS — ratings fell 44% (from 3.4) and viewership 39% (from 5.57M).
Game 1 drew a 13.6 rating in Minneapolis-St. Paul and an 8.4 in New York City, MLB Network’s highest rating ever in both markets. In New York, ratings increased 2% from Yankees-Indians Game 2 in ’17 (8.2).
Figures were not immediately available for Friday’s other playoff games on FS1 and TBS.
[Nielsen estimates from MLB Network]
