Television ratings for the start of Major League Baseball’s Division Series have surged by 41 percent compared to last year. This increase is attributed to close matchups, thrilling finishes, and the star power of players like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.
Games aired on Fox and Turner networks attracted an average of 3.6 million viewers. This is the highest viewership for the first two games of the division series since Fox began broadcasting the round in 2014.
The series featuring the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, as well as the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, were shown over the weekend on Fox and FS1.
The American League Division Series, which includes the Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees, began on Saturday on TBS and Max. These games also saw a rise in viewership, with Game 1 ratings increasing by 21 percent compared to last year’s equivalent games.
All four division series are tied at one win apiece, marking the first time this has occurred in the three decades the round has been held.
The increased ratings were also fueled by the presence of Ohtani and Judge, two of baseball’s biggest stars. Ohtani, a frontrunner for the National League MVP award, is participating in the postseason for the first time. He had a historic season, becoming the first player to hit over 50 home runs and steal over 50 bases in the same year. Judge, who is expected to win his second AL MVP award, led the majors with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs for the Yankees.
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