Major League Baseball's postseason has been especially good on-field product this fall and has proven to be a ratings success at this point. ESPN enjoyed the highest numbers ever for the Wild Card round, averaging 2.823 million viewers, a 25% increase from last year.
That momentum continued through the Division Series portion of programming as baseball posted the best figures since 2017, an 18% bump from 2023.
The Division Series finished as the most-watched since 2017, and #Postseason viewership is +18% over last year. pic.twitter.com/1CAgsvlSAx
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) October 14, 2024
The presence of two New York teams and one from Los Angeles certainly helps explain the additional eyeballs and the Detroit Tigers-Cleveland Guardians series went a full five games.
Those major market squads surviving into the ALCS and NLCS had Fox and TNT Sports salivating at even more juicy numbers and it certainly looks like they'll be getting those.
Fox reports that Game 1 of the NLCS between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers was the most-watched Game 1 LCS on any network since 2009. Which is even more impressive considering the fact baseball was going up against Sunday Night Football.
Party like it's 2009 🙌#NLCS Game 1 on FOX delivered the most-watched Game 1 LCS on any network since 2009 (LAA-NYY) amidst a heavy night of sports competition. pic.twitter.com/Q5TQuSWEIX
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) October 15, 2024
Every single possible permutation of a potential World Series matchup is attractive so the sky feels like the limit when it comes to baseball doing big business on television this October. This, of course, will do little to stem the pieces about how the sport needs to be saved and can't market itself but that feels like a lost fight anyway.
Baseball is having a much-deserved moment and a lot of people are catching it in real time.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Postseason Ratings Are Soaring.
