TBS, FOX and Major League Baseball are desperately hoping the 2007 Cleveland Indians are the reincarnation of the 2001 Oakland Athletics.
Down 0-2 to the Indians, the New York Yankees are facing elimination — which could have a severely negative effect on the television ratings for both TBS and FOX. Like no other team in sports, the Yankees move the needle.
Game 1 of the Yankees series against the Indians Thursday evening drew 6.7 million viewers on TBS — the highest rated program on TBS in five years. The 6.7 million viewers is the most for a non-football sporting event on cable since Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals drew 7.4 million viewers on TNT last June.
The game, which the Indians won 12-3, drew a 4.5 national rating, slightly higher than the 4.4 rating for the highest rated Division Series game on cable last season (Yankees/Tigers Game 3). Additionally, the game was the highest rated and most viewed Major League Baseball game of the season to that point, and blew away the numbers for the other two Division Series games on TBS Thursday; Rockies/Phillies Game 2 drew 3.3 million viewers, while Cubs/Diamondbacks Game 2 drew 3.7.
Ratings for Game 2 on Friday afternoon are currently unavailable.
