As could be expected, viewership declined for the first ever Major League Baseball playoff games on FS1.
Game 1 of the Cardinals/Dodgers National League Division Series drew 3.6 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Friday evening, down 13% from Dodgers/Braves Game 2 on TBS last year (4.1M) and the network’s most-watched program since rebranding from Speed Channel in 2013. The previous high was 3.5 million for NASCAR’s Sprint Unlimited in February.
The Cardinals’ comeback win drew a 17.4 rating in St. Louis and a 7.1 in Los Angeles.
Earlier in the day, Game 1 of the Giants/Nationals NLDS drew 2.0 million viewers on FS1 — down 16% from Rays/Red Sox Game 1 on TBS last year (2.4M) and down 19% from Nationals/Cardinals Game 1 on a Sunday afternoon in 2012 (2.5M). The Giants’ win drew a 6.6 in the Bay Area and a 6.9 in Washington, DC.
Viewership for Friday’s games on TBS was not immediately available, but the network has averaged 3.9 million viewers through five American League playoff telecasts — up 15% from the comparable A.L. games last year. The postseason as a whole has averaged 3.8 million across TBS, ESPN and FS1, also up 15%.
(Fri. numbers from Fox Sports; playoff averages from Turner Sports, MLB.com)