After the Houston Astros eliminated the Boston Red Sox from the ALCS, there were plenty of reasons to hope the Los Angeles Dodgers would emerge from the NLCS. First, a rematch of the World Series that Dodger fans and many in the sports media contend was stolen from LA would certainly have a storyline to it that could attract casual baseball fans. Also, while Atlanta and Houston are major markets in their own right, Los Angeles is considerably larger than either. Most of all though, the Dodgers have been a proven commodity this postseason according to Sports Media Watch.
When the Atlanta Braves closed punched their ticket to the World Series, the team eliminated the team most of America was tuning in to watch. The Dodgers appeared all over the list of most-watched games in the 2021 Major League Baseball postseason.
The eleven games that the Dodgers played prior to Saturday night all ranked in the top 15 broadcasts of the 2021 MLB Playoffs. Five of those games were amongst the seven most-watched and eight were in the top eleven.
One thing that should be noted here is that viewership for the postseason hit its peak early. The Yankees and Red Sox played the most-watched game of the postseason in the AL Wild Card Game. The second most-watched was the NL Wild Card Game between the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals. After that, the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants show up for Game 5 of their NLDS matchup.
The World Series matchup may have plenty at FOX and Major League Baseball nervous about whether or not the year-over-year ratings growth will continue. The Houston Astros played in just two of the most-watched games this postseason. The Atlanta Braves played in just four, and none that did not include the Dodgers. Conversley, the two teams that were eliminated in the League Championship Series were involved in all ten.
None of this is to say that the World Series will be a guaranteed ratings failure. It is merely to point out that 2021 is a year we are all looking at as a potential bounceback for sports television and the team most likely to attract the most eyeballs won’t be involved.
