Comments on: Major League Baseball Playoff Ratings, 1976-2007

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:15:39 +0000

Thanks, Bill. I love this site. I remember back in the 70s studying the TV guide, and then looking at the ratings charts in the paper. I guess it was early OCD checking in.

By: Pete3

Pete3 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:14:33 +0000

It was the only year of the “Baseball Network” where ABC and NBC shared broadcasts but called the coverage the Baseball Network (same graphics, music, everything). All games were prime time (8:00) and took place at the same time with regional coverage determining what game you saw. Everyone complained (legitimately) that they could only watch one playoff game each day. If you were an Indians fan, and lived in Georgia, you never saw your Indians play a single playoff game on the same day the Braves played until they actuall met in the World Series.

I for one would love for all games to be shown at reasonable times with multiple networks showing them. These current start times are ridiculous.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:15:15 +0000

Sean, we do have some data on game days and times, but I haven’t looked at it in detail. I’ll give it a look and see if anything jumps out.

Pete3, very interesting information, I just looked at our game by game data and you are correct and it seems like that was the *only* year that it happened.

By: Pete3

Pete3 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:02:36 +0000

One thing to consider for 1995. That year, all games went on at the same time, but they were televised only on one network regionally. That accounts for the number of viewers being the same and the fact that the numbers are inflated. 18 million people were only watching one game and not the other.

By: Sean

Sean — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:33:54 +0000

Any idea of when the games started? I know I can’t stay awake past 10, and I’m not alone on the East Coast. That has to have an impact.

By: kayarn

kayarn — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:20:08 +0000

any idea how the games did yesterday?

and its interesting to see that in 2000 a yankees matchup did not better than a 2006 matchup between st.louis and new yorks other, loser team.

im sure fox is happy that they will get 2 big market teams in philly and la in the nlcs, though losing the cubs is killer.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:45:55 +0000

Correct, the network history of the baseball playoffs is particularly complicated, more so recently. I will get some historical tables up in this post later.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:41:31 +0000

One factor impacting these numbers is that starting in 2007 (I think) it moved from Fox having both LCS series to one being on Fox and one being on TBS. Last year National League was on TBS and American League on Fox, this year it is reversed. Due to that, we may see the NLCS go up and ALCS go down regardless of the matchups.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:08:00 +0000

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.