ESPN, ESPN2, ABC average 1,836,000 viewers in wild card

NEW YORK -- ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC averaged 1,836,000 viewers for 16 broadcasts in Major League Baseball’s expanded wildcard round, drawing far more viewers for 16 games but an average down vastly from the single-knockout contests in previous years.

The most-watched game was the New York Yankees’ opening 12-3 win over Cleveland on Sept. 29, which averaged 2,642,000 despite taking place partly opposite a presidential debate. Last year’s ESPN game, Tampa

Bay’s 5-1 win over Oakland starting just after 8 p.m. EDT, was seen by an average of 4,615,000 on ESPN, down from 7,130,000 for Colorado’s 2-1, 13-inning win over the Chicago Cubs in the 2018 NL wild-card game at a similar time. ESPN’s wild-card game averaged 5,591,000 to 7,604,000 from 2014-17.

The round was expanded to eight best-of-three series due to the shortened season caused by the pandemic, and games were scheduled from noon EDT until 10 p.m. EDT over a four-day span. The Rays-Blue Jays series on TBS averaged 575,000 in the U.S., its audience limited by having only one U.S. home market. Major League Baseball said the expanded round drew 46.2 million viewers for 18 games, more than double the 21.6 million for two games in 2019. MLB cited figures for reach of any individual who watched a portion.

Sept. 29: Yankees/Indians Game 1, ESPN, 7 p.m. EDT: 2,642,000

Oct. 2: Cardinals/Padres Game 3, ESPN, 10 p.m.: 2,599,000

Sept. 30: Yankees/Indians Game 2, ESPN, 7 p.m.: 2,588,000

Oct. 1: Cardinals/Padres Game 2, ESPN2, p.m.: 2,331,000

Sept. 29: Astros/Twins Game 1, ABC, 2 p.m.: 2,211,000

Oct. 2: Marlins/Cubs Game 2, ABC, 2 p.m.: 1,977,000

Oct. 1: Dodgers/Brewers Game 2, ESPN, 10 p.m.: 1,928,000

Oct. 1: White Sox/Athletics Game 3, ESPN, 3 p.m.: 1,848,000

Sept. 30: Cardinals/Padres Game 1, ESPN2, 5 p.m.: 1,574,000

Sept. 30: Marlins/Cubs Game 1, ABC, 2 p.m.: 1,538,000

Sept. 30: Reds/Braves Game 1, ESPN, noon: 1,460,000

Oct. 1: Reds/Braves Game 2, ESPN, noon: 1,380,000

Sept. 30: White Sox/Athletics Game 2, ESPN, 3 p.m.: 1,219,000

Sept. 30: Dodgers/Brewers Game 1, ESPN, 10 p.m.: 1,090,000

Sept. 29: White Sox/Athletics Game 1, ESPN, 3 p.m. : 953,000

Sept. 30: Astros/Twins Game 2, ESPN2, 1 p.m.: 731,000

Sept. 29: Blue Jays/Rays Game 1, TBS, 5 p.m., 805,000 (plus 1,002,000 on SportsNet in Canada)

Sept. 30: Blue Jays/Rays, Game 2, TBS, 4 p.m. 345,000 (plus 681,000 in Canada)