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MLB playoff viewership is up in the Yankees Guardians and Mets Dodgers series
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MLB playoff viewership is up in the Yankees Guardians and Mets Dodgers series

Shohei Ohtani, #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers, hits a two-run home run, his 50th of the season, and becomes the first player with a 50/50 season in MLB history, during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins the LoanDepot Park in Miami on September 19, 2024.

Megan Briggs | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images

Major League Baseball’s postseason has knocked it out of the park.

Sunday’s first game of the National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers averaged 8.26 million viewers Fox Sports TV networks and streaming, making it the most-watched LCS game on any network since 2009, according to Fox Sports.

Monday night’s first game of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians saw a 4% increase from 2023 and drew 3.9 million viewers, a TNT Sports spokesperson said.

Both series competed for national attention during “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football,” where all three New York National Football League teams played in primetime.

The championship series win comes on the heels of four successful league series for MLB and its broadcast partners. The American League Division Series averaged three million viewers, an increase of more than 20% from 2023, according to TNT Sports. Viewership for the National League Division Series also increased, with game four in each series increasing from 2022.

In recent years, concerns have grown that MLB’s cultural relevance is declining, namely because younger generations believe they have shorter attention spans as they age in key demographics for media companies. Highlights and clips have become regular programs for sports channels.

Last year’s World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks also had the worst TV ratings in championship series history, although some reportedly attributed that to the teams not having much national appeal.

The 2024 regular season was also a success for the MLB. The league said it recorded an increase in attendance, fan engagement, streaming and viewership, something it attributes to the shorter games – helped by a pitch clock introduced last season – and rule changes that have allowed for more in-game action.

“The increased enthusiasm shown by baseball fans of all ages over the past two seasons is evident in all the ways we track fan engagement,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a news release. “Building on last year’s momentum, the 2024 season was unforgettable with historic performances, rising young stars, a series of successful special events and tight pennant races.”

Mr. Met poses before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 14, 2022.

Rob Tringali | Major League Baseball | Getty Images

MLB recently made several rule changes intended to increase action in games, such as making bases larger and limiting shifting. The league has also joined generational stars like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, who are on the Dodgers and Yankees, respectively, and would face each other in the World Series if each of their teams won their LCS.

“The two most storied franchises in Major League Baseball coming together and playing in the World Series, there couldn’t be anything better for baseball,” Eldridge Industries CEO Todd Boehly told CNBC’s Scott Wapner on “Halftime Report” on Tuesday. Boehly’s firm owns the Dodgers, among others.

The two other remaining teams, the Mets and Guardians, have their own draws. The Mets turned their season around in June after a winning streak, which followed a McDonald’s mascot, Grimace, throwing out a first pitch during a game.

The Guardians rebounded their season after giving up their division lead against the Kansas City Royals in late August following a hot September from their star Jose Ramirez.

The Yankees have a 2-0 lead against the Guardians, and the Mets-Dodgers series is tied at 1-1.

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