Ratings Roundup: MLB Postseason Is Most-Watched Since 2011; ALCS Game 7 FS1’s Most-Watched Telecast Ever

Major League Baseball is riding high heading into the World Series, as the MLB postseason is the most-watched since 2011, averaging 4,763,000 viewers, through the LCS. In addition, Saturday’s Yankees-Astros ALCS Game 7 was the most-watched baseball MLB game outside of the World Series and All-Star Game since 2010, drawing 9.9 million viewers on FS1. 

Inside Fox’s ALCS Numbers
The Houston Astros’ 4-0 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS Saturday night scored more than 10.5 million viewers across FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports Go. It was the most-watched telecast in FS1 history, with an average of 9,924,000 viewers, and most-watched ALCS game in FOX Deportes history, peaking at 583,000 total viewers from 9:45 PM – 10:00 PM ET, according to Nielsen Media Research. 

The game, which peaked at 11,758,000 viewers on FS1 from 11:00 to 11:15 PM ET, also set marks for FOX Deportes and FOX Sports GO streaming. ALCS Game 7 was the most-watched MLB League Championship Series game in FOX Deportes history with 445,000 viewers, and second-most watched MLB telecast overall, behind Game 7 of last year’s World Series (565,000). FSGO, with an average-minute streaming audience of 152,748, set the record for its best LCS game in platform history.

The game was Most-watched LCS telecast on any network since 2010 (10/23/10 San Francisco-Philadelphia on FOX, 11,639,000). Third-most-watched MLB telecast of any kind on cable behind the New York Yankees-Texas Rangers Game 6 in 2010 (11,863,000) and Boston-Tampa Game 7 in 2008 (13,357,000). It was up 22% versus the previous LCS Game 7 (8,108,000) for St. Louis – San Francisco on FOX on a Monday night in 2012. 

 The ALCS had its best performance since 2013, averaging 6,517,000 viewers across FOX and FS1.  Additionally, it is up 95% over 2016 (3,340,000), which ended in five games. Following FS1’s first-ever LCS Game 7, postseason to date, FS1/FOX is averaging 5.1 million viewers, virtually flat with last year’s NLCS and the Cubs’ historic run. The seven-game series was the most watched ALCS in FOX Deportes history, averaging 236,000 total viewers, more than double 2015’s six-game ALCS between the Blue Jays and the Royals.

Turner Sports’ NLCS Up Over Last Year’s ALCS
This year’s NLCS – the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs – averaged 6.2 million viewers, up 88% over TBS’s 2016 LCS coverage (3.3 million), but down 11% from last year’s six-game NLCS series on FS1 (7.0M). In addition, Los Angeles market averaged a 13.1 local U.S. HH rating for the five-game NLCS, a 32% increase vs. the Dodgers’ six-game NLCS appearance last season.

The series ended on a ratings down note, as Thursday’s Dodgers-Cubs NLCS Game 5 had a 3.2 rating and 5.2 million viewers on TBS, down 24% in ratings and 27% in viewership from the same matchup last year, which aired on FS1 (4.2, 7.2M). (SportsMediaWatch)

Overall, 2017 MLB Postseason coverage on TBS averaged 4.6 million viewers, a 44% increase over last year’s comparable LCS telecasts airing on the network. Overall, TBS’s 2017 MLB Postseason coverage led the network to win the night eight times across all of cable television in primetime.  TBS also generated increases across all key demos throughout its MLB Postseason coverage, along with huge gains in live streaming and social impressions. TBS’s 2017 NLCS coverage garnered 110% growth among People 18-49 and increases of 106% in People 18-34, 100% in People 25-54 and 98% in Men 18-49.

MLB on TBS studio coverage throughout the 2017 MLB Postseason produced a 37% increase for its pre-game show and 17% bump for its post-game show compared to 2016, based on metered market delivery.

Live streaming coverage of the 2017 MLB Postseason across Turner’s TV Everywhere platforms averaged 7.4 million minutes of consumption per game, up 136% over last year. Bleacher Report’s MLB Twitter account generated 29 million impressions during Turner’s coverage of the 2017 MLB Postseason, an increase of 38% over last year.