by With both ALDS games overlapping on different networks on Thursday night, the Yankees’ decisive win was nothing like last year. Plus: a second night of sharp declines for the NHL; a six-year high for NASCAR at Talladega.
The Yankees’ decisive win against the rival ALDS game
Game 4 of the Yankees-Royals MLB American League Division Series on Thursday averaged a 1.9 rating and reached a record 3.54 million viewers on TBS and truTV, significantly fewer than Phillies-Braves on the same night last year ( 3.0, 5.88 million). Unlike last year’s game, which aired in a standalone window, the Yankees’ decisive win overlapped for an hour with Guardians-Tigers Game 4 on TNT – which also posted a series-high 1.7 and 3.42 million.
The Guardians’ series-tying victory – the first postseason game scheduled for TNT since 2012 – peaked at 4.2 million in the quarter-hour at 7:45 p.m. ET, suggesting viewers tuned out when the Yankee game at 8:00 p.m. 00 p.m. began. The Yankee game peaked at 4.6 million at 9:45 p.m.
Although both games achieved series highs, it’s almost certain that the overlap resulted in some ratings cannibalization. On the other hand, it’s just as likely that the Guardians-Tigers performed better at 6pm ET on TNT than in an afternoon slot on TBS.
The American League postseason averaged 3.0 million viewers on the TNT Sports networks, up 18% from last year’s ALDS on the Fox Sports networks. Compared to the last time TBS broadcast the ALDS in 2022 – which was also the last time the Yankees were in the field – viewership is down from 3.5 million.
On the second evening of the season, the NHL fell again significantly
Wednesday’s NHL regular-season game between the Rangers and Penguins averaged a 0.22 rating and 467,000 viewers on TNT, a decline of 55% in ratings and 48% in viewership compared to Blackhawks-Bruins in last year, the second career game for Connor Bedard (.49, 896.000). The Rangers’ 6-0 win ranks as the lowest-rated and least-watched season opener on TNT since NHL games began airing in 2021.
The Avalanche-Golden Knights nightcap drew 315,000 players, 16% less than the Avalanche-Kings a year ago.
Wednesday night’s sharp declines followed a similar performance in the season-opening tripleheader on ESPN.
NASCAR’s fall Talladega draws its best viewership in six years
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega averaged a 1.7 rating and 3.13 million viewers on NBC. That’s 23% more ratings and 25% higher viewership than last year (1.4, 2.51 million) and the largest viewership for the fall Talladega race since 2018. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s win, which came in at 4.2 million Viewers peaked, surpassing all of last year’s playoff races.
The previous day’s Xfinity Series race at the track averaged 917,000 viewers on the CW, compared to 1.02 million in the U.S. for the last run in 2022.
(Nielsen estimates via Programming Insider 10.12, 10.13, Braylon Breeze/Twitter 10.13)
