After declines in the ratings for the first two rounds of the postseason, the MLB has received stronger numbers throughout the ALCS and NLCS.
While the matchups do not contain a team from one of the three largest designated market areas for the first time since 2014, the numbers are up year-over-year.
Additionally, none of the top-five teams from the regular season are within the sport’s semifinal round; rather, the teams competing for a chance to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy largely entered the postseason as underdogs to some degree.
According to data from Nielsen, the first game of the ALCS (Oct. 15) between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers averaged 7.27 million viewers on FOX, Fox Deportes, and streaming platforms. The figure makes it the most watched opening matchup of the ALCS since 2010, which also included the Rangers facing off against the New York Yankees and averaged 8.11 million viewers. Last season, the first game between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees had 28% fewer viewers on average.
Aside from the matchup between divisional rivals and the storylines surrounding the series, some experts view the New York Jets matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles contributing by serving as an effective lead-in to the coverage. That game ended up being the most viewed NFL on FOX broadcast of the season, which ended with a thrilling upset victory by the Jets, defeating the league’s last undefeated team.
Conversely, the Philadelphia Phillies qualified to play in the NLCS for the second consecutive season and are facing the Arizona Diamondbacks, two teams that entered the playoffs as Wild Card seeds. The first game attained an average of 3.8 million viewers across TBS, truTV, and MLB Network, down 7% year-over-year, but the second game garnered 5.3 million viewers, a significant increase. The Phillies and Braves divisional round series was the most watched on TBS in the last eight years, averaging 4.6 million viewers.
FOX Sports will broadcast the World Series for the 24th consecutive year, and it will feature Joe Davis and John Smoltz in the commentary booth. Coverage of the “Fall Classic,” which averaged just over 12 million viewers across FOX platforms last season, begins on Friday, Oct. 27 with a matchup still to be determined.
