TBS finished with a 2.9 U.S. rating and 4.6 million viewers for the six-game Cardinals-Brewers NLCS, down 43% and 44%, respectively, from last year’s Rangers-Yankees ALCS. While both series went six games, last year's ALCS featured much larger media markets; neither St. Louis nor Milwaukee rank among the top 20. TBS this year also went head-to-head with NFL primetime games on three nights, compared to only one such instance last year. Compared to TBS' coverage of the five-game Phillies-Dodgers NLCS in '09, Cardinals-Brewers was down 24% in ratings and viewership (3.8 rating/6.1 million viewers). TBS during the '11 NLCS was the most-viewed cable network for four of five primetime telecasts. Sunday night’s series-clinching game earned a 3.6 rating and 5.9 million viewers, marking the top-rated game of the NLCS, but down 50% in ratings and viewership from the ALCS clincher last year, which earned a 7.2 rating and 11.863 million viewers on a Friday night (Austin Karp, THE DAILY). In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes TBS’ Cardinals-Brewers series was the “second-lowest rated LCS ever,” while Fox’ Rangers-Tigers ALCS audience marked the “worst ever for the ALCS even though it had the No. 5 market, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and No. 11 Detroit.” Caesar also notes that while the 39.8 local rating in St. Louis for the clinching Game Six marked the “highest Cardinals game since their World Series-clinching” win in ’06, the NLCS on the whole averaged only a 31.2 rating in the market, marking the “second-worst in St. Louis for any of the Cards’ seven NLCS appearances” dating back to ’96. The only lower figure was a 29.4 rating for the five-game Giants-Cardinals series in ’02 (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/18).
LOOKING AHEAD: The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg said the Rangers-Cardinals World Series could be "possibly the lowest-rated World Series of all time” (“Washington Post Live,” Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 10/17). ESPN’s Dan Le Batard said of the matchup, “Rangers fans are excited. Cardinals are excited. That about covers it.” Le Batard said, “America, come on, come to the television. I know you wanted Yankees-Phillies. Come to the television and pull yourself away from football for a few minutes” (“Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable,” ESPN2, 10/17). In New Jersey, Steve Popper asks, "Who'll watch the World Series when it begins Wednesday?" Fox Senior VP/Programming & Research Mike Mulvihill said, "The way we look at it, markets matter, but there are other things that matter more. Story lines matter more. Teams with history and national following matter more." Mulvihill said of the Rangers-Cardinals matchup, "For serious baseball fans, there are (story lines). Albert Pujols may be playing his final games in a Cardinal uniform. Josh Hamilton is still an interesting story." Former Turner Sports President and YankeesNet CEO Harvey Schiller added, "There's no such thing as a bad World Series" (Bergen RECORD, 10/18).
