Average MLB playoff viewership is up 18% compared to last year

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball's postseason draws an average of 3.33 million viewers for the league championship series, an 18% increase from last year's average of 2.82 million.

The division series averaged 3.56 million viewers over 18 games, up 14% from last year.

The increases in divisional round ratings are due to two series going the distance, involving both New York teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Friday night's NLDS Game 5 between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres averaged 7.5 million viewers on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming, the most-watched division series game since 2017.

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Saturday afternoon's decisive game between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers averaged 3.42 million viewers on TBS, the most-watched Division Series game in a daytime game window (starting before 4 p.m.) in 17 years.

The game was originally scheduled to take place at night, but was moved to the afternoon due to the threat of bad weather.

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Fox and FS1 averaged 4.09 million for National League games, the highest number since FS1 began broadcasting postseason baseball in 2014. Fox also benefited from the Phillies-Mets being the other series. The Mets advanced in four games.

TNT Sports averaged 3 million for ALDS series games on TBS and TNT. In the other series, the Yankees defeated Kansas City in four games.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb