Considering the extenuating circumstances, Saturday’s Rays/Rangers Game 2 performed fairly well for TNT.
Game 2 between the Rays and Rangers earned a 1.4 U.S. rating and 2.165 million viewers on TNT Saturday night. Rays/Rangers was the first ever MLB postseason game to air entirely on TNT.
Saturday’s game was the least-viewed MLB postseason game ever on Turner Sports (61 telecasts). Amazingly, four of the five least-viewed playoff games on Turner Sports have featured the Rays against the Rangers.
Overall, the game ranks as the least-viewed postseason game since Padres/Cardinals Game 3 on ESPN2 in 2006 (2.125M), coincidentally ESPN’s final postseason telecast.
Though the numbers look terrible on the surface, keep in mind that Game 2 aired opposite other postseason games on TBS — the tail end of Cardinals/Phillies Game 1 (2.4, 3.752M) and most of Tigers/Yankees Game 1 (2.7, 4.200M).
Add in competition from Saturday’s college football games, and it is not surprising the numbers were so low.
Locally, Game 2 drew a 10.9 rating in the Tampa-St. Petersburg market, up 17% from last year’s Game 2 between the same teams (9.3). In Dallas-Ft. Worth, the game drew a 10.7, up 65% from last year (6.5). Last year’s Game 2 aired at 1:30 PM on a Thursday afternoon.
Least-Viewed MLB Postseason Games Ever on Turner Sports
|
Date
|
Time
|
Game
|
#
|
Series
|
Net
|
U.S. Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., 10/1/11 | 7 PM | TB 6, TEX 8 |
2
|
TIE 1-1
|
TNT |
1.4
|
2,165
|
| Sun., 10/10/10 | 1 PM | TB 5, TEX 2 |
4
|
TIE 2-2
|
TBS |
1.5
|
2,219
|
| Sun., 10/5/08 | 1 PM | PHI 6, MIL 2 |
4
|
PHI 3-1
|
TBS |
1.5
|
2,220
|
| Wed., 10/6/10 | 1:30 PM | TEX 5, TB 1 |
1
|
TEX 1-0
|
TBS |
1.6
|
2,244
|
| Thu., 10/7/10 | 2 PM | TEX 6, TB 0 |
2
|
TEX 2-0
|
TBS |
1.8
|
2,421
|
(This year’s numbers from Turner Sports)
