Bill Streicher
Games 1 and 2 of the Mets-Phillies NLDS series drew big numbers ratings wise.
In fact, of the games that there is info on, Sports TV Ratings says that the two highest-rated games of the Divisional Series round so far are the first two tilts between the Phillies and Mets:
MLB NLDS:
Mets/Phillies Gm 1 (FOX): 4.855m
Mets/Phillies Gm 2 (FS1): 3.445m
Padres/Dodgers Gm 1 (FS1): 2.879m
Padres/Dodgers Gm 2: (FS1): 3.44m
MLB ALDS Game 1s
Royals/Yankees (TBS): 3.225m
Tigers/Guardians (TBS): 1.565m
There's a few takeaways here:
1. While Mets-Phillies might not be at the level of early-to-mid-2000s Yankees-Red Sox, it's one of the better rivalries in baseball currently. It also doesn't hurt that it draws from two of the four biggest TV markets in the country.
2. There still is a major advantage of being on one of the traditional over-the-air three-letter networks like FOX, CBS, NBC or ABC. Despite Game 2 between the Phillies and Mets being the better of the two contests the clubs have played thus far, it got lower ratings because it was on FS1 with NFL was on FOX. Game 1 drew a massive rating on FOX.
3. Just from a time zones perspective, it probably makes more sense for the Dodgers-Padres series to have later start times than the Mets-Phillies. With that said, it's fair to wonder if Mets-Phillies would be getting higher ratings in the prime-time spot than Dodgers-Padres. Then again, over the weekend — particularly for Game 1 on Saturday — it might have been an advantage to have the 4:08 start time, as opposed to the 8:38 of the Dodgers-Padres. Not everyone gives up their social life to watch sports.
