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TBS Sees Strong Overnight Ratings Gains For Opening MLB LDS Telecasts

TBS got off to a strong start with last night's opening ALDS games, despite competition from CBS/NFL Network's Vikings-Packers game and ESPN's Arizona-Oregon college football matchup. TBS averaged a 2.9 overnight rating for the doubleheader, up 21% from a 2.4 last year on the same night. The Orioles' 12-3 win over the Tigers in the opening telecast drew a 2.7 overnight, up 35% from the Cardinals' 9-1 win over the Pirates in the comparable opener last year. Tigers-Orioles drew a 17.3 local rating in Baltimore, marking the best figure for any MLB game in the market since Yankees-Orioles ALDS Game 5 in '12. The game drew a 16.0 local rating in Detroit. Meanwhile, in the late window, the Royals' extra-inning win over the Angels drew a 3.2 overnight, up 14% from the Dodgers' 6-1 win over the Braves in the late window last year. K.C. delivered a 30.8 local rating, marking the best number for any MLB game in the market on record (local figures date back to '98). The game also drew an 8.5 rating in the L.A. market (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

WILD NIGHTS: The MLB Wild Card has its best audience yet for the two telecasts, as ESPN aired its first WC telecast. ESPN drew a WC-record 3.6 rating and 5.59 million viewers for the Giants' 8-0 win over the Pirates on Wednesday night. The game was also the most-viewed MLB game yet on WatchESPN. Meanwhile, TBS finished with a 3.3 rating and 5.23 million viewers for the Royals' extra inning walkoff against the A's, marking the third-best WC audience yet, despite K.C. being only the 31st biggest media market (Karp). In Albany, Pete Dougherty writes the discrepancy for the WC matchups is a "clear case of a network carrier trumping the action." Between the "ease to find the channel and its reputation, ESPN may have a built-in ratings advantage" of as much as 20% (Albany TIMES UNION, 10/3).

MLB WILD CARD AUDIENCE TREND
YEAR
NETWORK
DAY
MATCHUP
RATING
VIEWERS (000)
'14
ESPN
Wed.
Giants-Pirates
3.6
5,591
'14
TBS
Tues.
Royals-A's
3.3
5,234
'13
TBS
Wed.
Rays-Indians
3.1
4,743
'13
TBS
Tues.
Pirates-Reds
3.0
4,599
'12
TBS
Fri.
Orioles-Rangers
3.4
5,304
'12
TBS
Fri.
Cardinals-Braves
2.6
3,990
     

A REAL HEAD TURNER: In Baltimore, David Zurawik writes TBS "did a solid job communicating the color, excitement and sheer joy in the stands" during Tigers-Orioles Game 1. The net deserves credit for "not cutting corners in personnel or cameras." With all the playoff games it is broadcasting, that "could be a real temptation." But the three-man booth of Brian Anderson, Joe Simpson and Dennis Eckersley "provided a steady stream of facts, commentary and analysis throughout the game without getting in the way of what was happening on the field." TBS also "added a reporter, Jaime Maggio, on the field." Anderson "established a strong underpinning to the broadcast with his play-by-play call." While there "was nothing exceptional about it," by the end of the game, it "was clear that he had given viewers everything they needed to know without becoming a distraction, as local announcers sometimes do." The "gem of the TBS production" was Eckersley’s analysis (Baltimore SUN, 10/3).

CHANNEL SURFING: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar writes the switch from having Cardinals NLDS games on TBS/TNT last year to FS1 this year has already "led to confusion for some who are unfamiliar with FS1 and anger from others who don’t get MLB Network -- which carries Game 2 on Saturday night." The "vast majority" of St. Louis-based viewers who watched FS Midwest for local Cardinals telecasts "should have access" to FS1. The problem with MLB Network "isn’t with the quality" of its game productions, but rather in that "not enough people get the channel to justify putting a playoff game there without at least allowing for a local outlet to simulcast the coverage in the markets of the competing teams." While it "is a callous, self-serving move by MLB," at least the "pain is short for those viewers affected." At a time when MLB "should be showcasing its sport, it instead is doing a stellar job of agitating many of its customers" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/3). In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes under the header, "Dodgers Playoff Games Become Must-Seek TV." Dodgers fans " will have to re-remember" where FS1 and MLB Network are located. The added exposure MLB Network gets from playoff games "has helped the channel bore its way into about 70 million homes," or 40% more than when it launched five years ago. But even if the net "is most likely available to everyone on some level here, there will be a good number who haven’t upgraded their cable, satellite or telco package and need to pony up now to get it, or be cut out" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/3).

A JABO & A HOOK: FOXSPORTS.com's Rob Neyer noted while Fox "will provide the traditional broadcast" during next Saturday's NLCS Game 1 at 8:00pm ET, FS1 in a simultaneous special will "focus on statistics, sabermetrics, and graphics, with plenty of debate and conversation while the action plays out on the field." Neyer: "We’ll utilize a double-box format, with the live game action in one box, and our studio hosts and guests in another, along with a constant flow of graphics." Fox' Kevin Burkhardt will host the show and will be joined by Neyer, Gabe Kapler and C.J. Nitkowski (FOXSPORTS.com, 10/2).

NOSTALGIC FIND
: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir reports the Library of Congress on Thursday announced newsreel footage of Game 7 of the '24 World Series "was found in July in the rafters of a garage at a house near Worcester, Mass."  The "nearly pristine Kinograms newsreel was shot largely from long angles." It shows Baseball HOFer Walter Johnson "entering the game in the ninth and shutting out the Giants for four innings to win the game" for the Washington Senators. The silent film "is explained simply with its original title cards" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/3).

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