2013 MLB Ratings Wrap-Up, Part III: Postseason Games

Here are the viewership numbers for every game of the MLB postseason, including 18-49 ratings for most games, sorted by viewership and including the tiebreaker game between the Rays and Rangers. Click here to see them sorted by series.

The Red Sox’ clincher in Game 6 of the World Series was the most-watched baseball game of the year, attracting over 19 million viewers. Unsurprisingly, especially with the Red Sox in the ALCS and World Series, every primetime game on Fox beat every game on TBS; in fact, the most watched game on TBS was a division series game, the Cardinals’ clincher in Game 5 against the Pirates. This also meant the Red Sox were involved in the 11 most-watched games of the postseason.

The most-watched game on TBS outside of primetime likely depends on definition; either Tigers-Athletics Game 4, which began at 5 PM ET, or Cardinals-Dodgers Game 5, which began at 4 PM ET. Both games had over 3.7 million viewers. The two games starting at 3 PM ET were the least-watched games on TBS; the Red Sox factor could not save Rays-Red Sox Game 1 from being the single least-viewed game on TBS. Depending on definition, the least-viewed primetime game was either Pirates-Cardinals Game 1 at 5 PM ET; the Rays-Rangers tiebreaker; or Tigers-Athletics Game 2.

28 games had more viewers than the most-watched regular season game window of the season. For perspective, a total of 36 or 37 games aired on Fox and TBS. If the Rays-Rangers tiebreaker is considered a regular season game, it was the second-most viewed of the season on cable; in all, 19 of 24 or 25 games on TBS attracted more viewers than any regular-season game on ESPN.

Of MLB Network’s two games, Athletics-Tigers Game 3 attracted a larger audience with 912,000 viewers. Pirates-Cardinals Game 2 lagged behind with 832,000 viewers.

All numbers from TVbytheNumbers, The Futon Critic, and Son of the Bronx with additional info from Sports Media Watch (see link above).

*Coverage began on TNT at 9:30 due to Red Sox-Rays running long; TNT coverage had 1.267 million viewers and a .4 adults 18-49 rating.