Though some complain about its usefulness and wonder if it shouldn’t be a full-fledged series, the fact is that the invention of the Wild Card game has been wildly successful (sorry) for MLB. Adding a do-or-die element, guaranteed, to the MLB Playoffs has provided a buzz and has paid off in the ratings.
We start with TBS’ coverage of the crazy, bananas AL game between Oakland and Kansas City. That game drew 5.2 million viewers, up 12 percent from TBS’ average for the two Wild Card games in 2013. The game was up 14 percent from the year-ago broadcast, which was the NL Wild Card game between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
The game drew a massive 30.3 rating in Kansas City (though not quite as massive as the 43.7 for the Chiefs against the Patriots on Monday night) and a stout 9.9 rating in the Bay Area (which actually did beat the rating for the Raiders game on Sunday). The Kansas City rating was a record for MLB on TBS in the market.
The San Francisco Giants’ blowout of the Pittsburgh Pirates last night also drew terrific numbers. The game drew 5.6 million viewers, topping Orioles-Rangers in 2012 for the most-watched Wild Card game ever.
ESPN drew a 4.1 overnight rating, which matches Baltimore-Texas on TBS in 2012 (the first-ever primetime Wild Card game) for the highest-rated of these scheduled one-game showdowns. The rating is up 21 percent from the aforementioned Reds-Pirates game from last year. The game peaked from 9-9:15 p.m. ET, which suggests numbers could have been even greater had the Pirates made it a game.
In Pittsburgh, the game drew a 22.6 rating. To give you an idea of how high that is, Game 7 earlier this year between the Rangers and Penguins drew a 19.3 rating on NBCSN. The Giants drew a 13.3 rating in the Bay Area. Both numbers are the highest for MLB on ESPN in the market, slightly more surprising than the TBS records just because ESPN has aired playoff games in the past.
