
Ratings Roundup: 2018 MLB Postseason Sees Low Numbers in NLDS; NFL Ratings Continue to Rise By Kristian Hernandez, Assistant Editor
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 - 10:00 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Ratings roundup is a rundown of rating news from the past week and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, the 2018 MLB Postseason is through the Wildcard and Divison Series, NFL overall ratings continue to rise, college football reaches the halfway point, ESPN and RSN's compile final ratings for regular season baseball, NBC Sports Network is on pace to create network history, viewership of all programs on MLB Network increased in 2018, and ESPN reports their September numbers.
2018 MLB Postseason At This Moment
The MLB Postseason is underway with the completion of both Wildcard games and Division Series. TBS's exclusive coverage of the 2018 American League Wild Card presented by Hankook Tire - the Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees (8-11:30 p.m. ET) - led the network to win the night across all of cable television, based on overnight delivery. The live game telecast peaked with an average of 7.5 million total viewers from 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET, based on Nielsen Fast Nationals, and delivered significant audience growth across all platforms.
Wednesday night's A.L. Wild Card game telecast garnered an average minute audience of 6.4 million viewers across all platforms, an increase of 51% over the 2016 A.L. Wild Card game on TBS and a 45% gain when compared to last year's N.L. Wild Card game on the network.
Additional highlights include:
Wednesday night's Yankees/Athletics telecast on TBS is up double digits across all key demos, including a 37% increase in People 18-49 and 32% in Men 18-34 over the network's A.L. Wild Card telecast in 2016.
Turner's TV Everywhere platforms generated over nine million total streaming minutes, a 120% increase compared to the 2016 A.L. Wild Card Game on TBS.
The 2018 A.L. Wild Card Game generated over 11 million Twitter impressions on Bleacher Report's MLB handle, a 13% increase over last year's comparable Wild Card.
The Bay Area posted an 8.9 overnight rating, the best on record for an A's game telecast on any network since 2014
According to SportsMediaWatch, Game 1 of the Brewers-Rockies NLDS matchup on Thursday, October 4 earned a 1.6 rating and 2.46 million viewers on FS1, up 24% in viewership from the same window on MLB Network last year (Red Sox-Astros: n/a, 1.99M) and up 23% and 32% respectively from 2016 on TBS (Blue Jays-Rangers: 1.3, 1.86M). Fs1's Game 2 reached a 1.1 rating with 1.77 million viewers. According to Cynopsis Sports, the series-clinching game on Sunday on MLB Network drew an average of two million viewers, to rank as the channel's fourth-best MLB game telecast ever(Cynopsis Sports)
In the other NLDS, Game 1 of Dodgers-Braves drew a 1.3 and 2.1 million on MLB Network - down 43% in ratings and 44% in viewership from last year's aforementioned Yankees-Indians game and down 55% in both measures from 2016 on TBS (Red Sox-Indians: 2.9, 4.67M). The Dodgers win delivered the third-largest Major League Baseball audience ever on MLB Network, trailing last year's Yankees-Indians Game 2 (3.20M) and Game 2 of Giants-Cubs in 2016 (4.61M) (SMW). Game 2 on FS1 had a 1.2 rating and 2.03 million viewers (-31%). Sunday night's Game 3 increased slightly - with a 1.8 rating and 3.02 million viewers on FS1, down 40% in ratings and 43% in viewership from Indians-Yankees in the same window last year (3.0, 5.29M) but up 38% and 42% respectively from 2016 (Rangers-Blue Jays: 1.4, 2.37M). The game that saw the Dodgers return to the NLCS had 2.17 million on FS1 - down 23% from Nationals-Cubs Game 3 on TBS last year (2.83M) but up 42% from Nationals-Dodgers Game 3 on MLB Network in 2016 (1.53M) (SMW)
In the American League, Game 1 of Indians-Astros had 1.91 million on TBS, up 17% from last year (Red Sox-Astros: 1.63M) and up 19% from 2016 (Blue Jays-Rangers: 1.61M). Game 2 had a 1.6 (-24%) and 2.50 million (-29%). As for Game 2, the telecast reached a 1.6 (-24%) with 2.50 million spectators (-29%). The defending World Series champions advanced in Game 3 on Monday afternoon in front of a television audience of 1.92 million on TBS, down 18% from Astros-Red Sox Game 4 last year (2.83M) (SMW)
In the final Division Series, Yankees-Red Sox Game 1 earned a 3.35 rating and 5.57 million viewers on TBS, up 59% in viewership from last year (Cubs-Nationals: n/a, 3.50M) and up 158% and 152% respectively from 2016 on FS1 (Dodgers-Nationals: 1.3, 2.21M). The second game of the series on Saturday night had a 3.0 and 5.06 million - up 82% in ratings and 80% in viewership from last year (D'Backs-Dodgers: 1.65, 2.81M) and up 19% and 10% respectively from Giants-Cubs on MLB Network in 2016 (2.5, 4.61M) (SMW). A lopsided Game 3 in favor of Boston earned 4.41 million viewers on TBS, down 2% from Indians-Yankees Game 4 on FS1 last year (4.49M) but up 9% from Indians-Red Sox on TBS in 2016 (4.03M). Due to the score, it was the first game of the series to decline in comparison to last year's window with a 17% drop. Last night's series-clinching ALDS Game 4 on TBS was the most-viewed LDS Game 4 on the network since 2007, with an average of 7.1 million viewers, and ranked as the top program of the night across all of cable television. The telecast peaked with an average of 8.5 million viewers from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET. Locally, the ALDS Game 4 telecast generated a 23.9 HH rating in Boston, the highest-rated LDS game on any network in the market since 2008.
Week 5 of NFL Action
The Monday Night Football matchup - which featured New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees breaking Peyton Manning's all-time NFL passing yards record in a 43-19
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
13/09/2025
ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...
13/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...
13/09/2025
At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...
13/09/2025
Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...
13/09/2025
Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...
13/09/2025
Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users
Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...
13/09/2025
With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...
13/09/2025
Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...
13/09/2025
When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...
13/09/2025
Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...
13/09/2025
Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...
13/09/2025
Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
13/09/2025
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking Study by Scripps Research scientists shows how the brain learns to seek alcohol for relief, not jus...
12/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow ...
12/09/2025
ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped FormatThe Finals moves to a best-of-seven series in 2025By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Friday, Sep...
12/09/2025
(L-R) Jade Croot, Rosy McEwen, and Bryn Chainey attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rabbit Trap at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park ...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
IBC2025 began on Sept. 12, with exhibits and conferences running through Sept. 15 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Explore the full TV Tech coverage of t...
12/09/2025
The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...
12/09/2025
Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, as a Se...
12/09/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and more, today announced a...
12/09/2025
PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, has partnered with AI-Media, pioneering developers of AI-powered captioning technology, to integrate...
12/09/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
12/09/2025
New alliance strengthens the IT channel in Germany and Switzerland in protecting business-critical SaaS data.
Keepit, the world s only independent, cloud-nativ...
12/09/2025
Fincons Group, an international IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce...
12/09/2025
Following its acquisition of Telemetrics, EVS continues its push into robotics with an announcement at IBC2025 that it is acquiring XD motion....
12/09/2025
TORONTO The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has announced the appointment of Eduardo Ruiz Sanchez, deputy director, broadcast operations at Telev...
12/09/2025
Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died....
12/09/2025
AMSTERDAM At this year's IBC2025, the Advanced HDR by Technicolor initiative will be pushing broadcasters to adopt a more dynamic, frame-by-frame conversion...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
September 12th, 2025
Tribeca X and The Female Quotient to Host Powerhouse Em...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
New International Crime Series Road (WT)' Explores Twiste...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
First Look: Thai Crime Drama Everybody Loves Me When I'm ...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series Th...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
Report: Busy Live Sports Streaming Execs Have Low-hanging Fruit' in Front o...
11/09/2025
Inside Game Creek Video's Big Week as Ovation, Flagship Make NFL DebutsBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 7:00 am
Pr...
11/09/2025
NFL Kickoff 2025: Prime Sports Starts New Season at Lambeau Field; Sets Sights o...