MLB Ratings Roundup: Postseason Viewership Up 8% Overall

Through Day 3 of the Division Series, the 2015 MLB Postseason was up 18% in viewership (4.146 million viewers) over last year and the most-watched to date since 2010 (based on Nielsen Fast National ratings). Here's a breakdown of each network's MLB Postseason ratings through Sunday.

TBS

TBS' exclusive MLB Postseason telecasts are averaging 5.3 million total viewers through Monday, tied with 2007 as the network's most-viewed coverage on record through the third day of the Division Series. The network's postseason coverage is up 36% among total viewers over last year (3,862,000 total viewers in 2014) and an even larger 44% increase among People 18-49. The corresponding 3.2 U.S. HH rating this year is up 33% over a 2.4 U.S. HH rating to date in 2014, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals.

Monday's NLDS Game 3 doubleheader on TBS averaged five million total viewers and a 3.0 U.S. HH rating, increases of 32% and 30% respectively over last year's comparable telecasts (3,827,000 total viewers; 2.2 U.S. HH rating).

The network's St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs telecast delivered an average of 5.8 million total viewers and a 3.5 U.S. HH rating to become the most-viewed and highest-rated NLDS Game 3 since 2006. The telecast - peaking with an average of 7.5 million total viewers and a 4.4 U.S. HH rating from 7:45-8 p.m. ET - is also the most-viewed and highest-rated LDS game since 2012.

Fox Sports

Astros-Royals ALDS Game 2 (1.841 million viewers) and Rangers-Blue Jays ALDS Game 1 (1.750 million) are the most-watched daytime programs on FS1 in almost a year (2014 NLCS Game 3, 2.779 million), and are the fourth and fifth most-watched daytime programs since FS1's launch.

MLB Network

MLB Network recorded its second-best rated game telecast ever (1.9 coverage rating) with the Rangers' 14-inning ALDS Game Two win over the Blue Jays. The game also led MLB Network to its best-ever overnight viewership for total day, up up 25% from its prior record on October 4, 2014.

Sportsnet

Sportsnet (Rogers Canada) recorded its most-watched program ever with Game One of the ALDS between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays, with an average audience of 2.35 million viewers, a 15% increase over its previous record and a 740% increase over last year's ALDS Game 1. The game marked the 58th Blue Jays broadcast to eclipse the one million viewer mark, and the third Blue Jays broadcast to eclipse the two million viewer mark in 2015.

That day's edition of Blue Jays Central Postseason pre-game show delivered an average audience of 807,000 marking a 178% increase over the Blue Jays Central average audience during the 2015 regular season (290,000).

ESPN

ESPN's American League Wild Card Game - the Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 3-0 - delivered the largest MLB Wild Card Game audience ever, according to Fast Nationals from Nielsen. The telecast averaged 7,604,000 viewers (P2 ), and peaked with 8,600,000 viewers from 10:30-11 p.m. ET. It was ESPN's most-watched MLB game since 2003. The viewership average was up 46 percent from last year's AL Wild Card Game - Kansas City vs. Oakland - which drew 5,213,000 viewers. It's also up 36 percent from ESPN's telecast of the 2014 NL Wild Card Game - San Francisco vs. Pittsburgh - which generated 5,591,000 viewers and was the previously most-watched MLB Wild Card game. The telecast delivered a 4.9 U.S. household rating, which is up 48 percent and 36 percent, respectively, from last year's AL Wild Card and NL Wild Card telecasts. It was also up double-digits from both of last year's Wild Card telecasts across all key demos.

Streaming Audience: MLBAM, Turner TV Everwhere, WatchESPN

ON the digital side, Through the first five days of the Postseason, data from the MLBAM LDDR study shows there have been daily averages of 3.4 million unique sessions and 32.8 million minutes consumed of live game access across MLBAM's digital products. The top five markets accessing live games across MLBAM's digital products through the first five days of the Postseason are: 1) New York; 2) Los Angeles; 3) Chicago; 4) Dallas-Ft. Worth and 5) Toronto.

Game Two of the ALDS between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays became the top-consumed game of the season, according to LDDR, in both unique sessions (3.2MM) and minutes (47.4MM). The dramatic 14-inning game peaked near its conclusion with fans consuming a record 8MM minutes during that final inning alone

Turner's TV Everywhere platforms are also delivering significant increases for the postseason to-date including live streaming coverage up 46% in unique visits. Social media impressions for the MLB Postseason are up more than 263% collectively across Twitter and Facebook for Bleacher Report's MLB social accounts when compared with the comparable coverage in 2014

Last Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game generated the largest audience for an MLB game ever on WatchESPN, setting records across metrics, including 445,000 unique viewers, an average minute audience of 127,000 viewers, and 25.7 million total minutes viewed across devices.

MLB Regular Season Highlights

Kansas City Royals telecasts on FOX Sports Kansas City averaged an all-time high 12.3 household rating in 2015, the best for any MLB team on a regional sports network since 2002. Royals local market ratings ranked No. 1 in MLB for the first time. Viewership rose 84 percent over last season, with similar increases for the Hy-Vee Royals Live pregame ( 105 percent) and Boulevard Royals Live postgame shows ( 89 percent). Royals telecasts on FOX Sports Kansas City were the highest-rated, most-watched programming in Kansas City during baseball season. Prime-time games averaged a 13.0, 136 percent higher than the closest competitors. Highest-rated game on FSKC: was onApril 26 at Whit

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