As our historical ratings chart shows, the trend is definitely not baseball's friend, but significant year to year fluctuations occur based on matchups, cities and number of games played.
In 2007, TBS carried 13 divisional series games and TNT carried 4, I averaged their results together.
2006-7 data is Live+SD, prior years are Live viewing.
You can find World Series data here.
National League Championship Series TV Ratings 1976-2007
| Year | Network | Telecasts | Viewers | Teams |
| 2007 | TBSC | 4 | 4,294,000 | Colorado Rockies/Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2006 | FOX | 7 | 10,494,000 | ST. Louis Cardinals/ New York Mets |
| 2005 | FOX | 6 | 10,592,000 | Houston Astros/St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2004 | FOX | 7 | 11,836,000 | St. Louis Cardinals/Houston Astros |
| 2003 | FOX | 7 | 16,797,000 | Florida Marlins / Chicago Cubs |
| 2002 | FOX | 5 | 9,740,000 | San Francisco Giants/St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2001 | FOX | 5 | 10,893,000 | Arizona Diamondbacks/St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2000 | FOX | 6 | 10,373,000 | NY Mets / St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1999 | NBC | 6 | 14,281,000 | Atlanta Braves / NY Mets |
| 1998 | FOX | 6 | 14,290,000 | San Diego Padres / Atlanta Braves |
| 1997 | NBC | 6 | 12,013,000 | Florida Marlins / Atlanta Braves |
| 1996 | FOX | 7 | 12,501,000 | Atlanta Braves / St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1995 | ABC/NBC | 6 | 18,596,000 | Atlanta Braves / Cincinnati Reds |
| 1994 | Baseball Strike | |||
| 1993 | CBS | 6 | 17,890,000 | Philadelphia Phillies / Atlanta Braves |
| 1992 | CBS | 6 | 16,957,000 | Atlanta Braves / Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1991 | CBS | 7 | 18,846,000 | Atlanta Braves / Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1990 | CBS | 6 | 16,122,000 | Cincinnati Reds / Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1989 | NBC | 5 | 20,867,000 | San Francisco Giants / Chicago Cubs |
| 1988 | ABC | 7 | 21,085,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / NY Mets |
| 1987 | NBC | 7 | 21,425,000 | St. Louis Cardinals / San Francisco Giants |
| 1986 | ABC | 6 | 19,076,000 | NY Mets / Houston Astros |
| 1985 | NBC | 6 | 19,334,000 | St. Louis Cardinals / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1984 | ABC | 5 | 20,323,000 | San Diego Padres / Chicago Cubs |
| 1983 | NBC | 5 | 17,515,000 | Philadelphia Phillies / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1982 | ABC | 3 | 25,545,000 | St. Louis Cardinals / Atlanta Braves |
| 1981 | NBC | 5 | 15,418,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / Montreal Expos |
| 1980 | ABC | 5 | 28,891,000 | Philadelphia Phillies / Houston Astros |
| 1979 | NBC | 3 | 18,560,000 | Pittsburgh Pirates / Cincinnati Reds |
| 1978 | ABC | 4 | 21,603,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1977 | NBC | 4 | 20,942,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1976 | ABC | 3 | 18,278,000 | Cincinnati Reds / Philadelphia Philles |
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American League Championship Series TV Ratings 1976-2007
| Year | Network | Telecasts | Viewers | Teams |
| 2007 | FOX | 7 | 11,524,000 | Boston Red Sox/Cleveland Indians |
| 2006 | FOX | 4 | 7,849,000 | Detroit Tigers/Oakland Athletics |
| 2005 | FOX | 5 | 10,677,000 | Chicago White Sox/Houston Astros |
| 2004 | FOX | 7 | 18,518,000 | Boston Red Sox /NY Yankees |
| 2003 | FOX | 7 | 16,439,000 | NY Yankees/Boston Red Sox |
| 2002 | FOX | 5 | 10,158,000 | Anahiem Angels/Minnesota Twins |
| 2001 | FOX | 5 | 11,478,000 | NY Yankes/Seattle Mariners |
| 2000 | NBC | 6 | 10,373,000 | NY Yankees / Seattle Mariners |
| 1999 | FOX | 5 | 12,787,000 | NY Yankees / Boston Red Sox |
| 1998 | NBC | 6 | 12,826,000 | NY Yankees / Cleveland Indians |
| 1997 | FOX | 6 | 11,324,000 | Cleveland Indians / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1996 | NBC | 5 | 11,263,000 | NY Yankees / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1995 | NBC/ABC | 6 | 18,596,000 | Cleveland Indians / Seattle Mariners |
| 1994 | Strike | |||
| 1993 | CBS | 6 | 14,458,000 | Toronto Blue Jays / Chicago White Sox |
| 1992 | CBS | 6 | 11,397,000 | Toronto Blue Jays / Oakland A's |
| 1991 | CBS | 5 | 12,452,000 | Minnesota Twins / Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1990 | CBS | 4 | 15,062,000 | Oakland A's / Boston Red Sox |
| 1989 | NBC | 5 | 13,161,000 | Oakland A's / Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1988 | ABC | 4 | 14,815,000 | Oakland A's / Boston Red Sox |
| 1987 | NBC | 5 | 19,483,000 | Minnesota Twins / Detroit Tigers |
| 1986 | ABC | 7 | 20,403,000 | Boston Red Sox / California Angels |
| 1985 | NBC | 7 | 20,088,000 | Kansas City Royals / Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1984 | ABC | 3 | 20,271,000 | Detroit Tigers / Kansas City Royals |
| 1983 | NBC | 4 | 15,164,000 | Baltimore Orioles / Chicago WhiteSox |
| 1982 | ABC | 5 | 21,947,000 | Milwaukee Brewers / California Angels |
| 1981 | NBC | 3 | 20,370,000 | NY Yankees / Oakland A's |
| 1980 | ABC | 3 | 21,894,000 | Kansas City Royals / New York Yankees |
| 1979 | NBC | 4 | 19,238,000 | Baltimore Orioles / California Angels |
| 1978 | ABC | 4 | 21,607,000 | NY Yankees / Kansas City Royals |
| 1977 | NBC | 5 | 22,425,000 | NY Yankees / Kansas City Royals |
| 1976 | ABC | 5 | 21,935,000 | NY Yankees / Kansas City Royals |
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Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
If the Yankees, Sawx and Cubs all advance to the LCS I think you will see 2003 levels which would represent huge gains vs. last year and close to mid 90s level.
But if you get Angels vs Indians and Rockies vs. Diamondbacks…even worse than last year.