Ratings increase for TBS' Mets-Cubs NLCS telecast
New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey reacts after the seventh inning and is high-fived by New York Mets manager Terry Collins (10) during Game 1 of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
Game 1 of the NLCS Saturday night attracted an average audience of 7.9 million viewers on TBS, with a peak of 9.3 million, up 46 percent over Game 1 of the last NLCS the network carried in 2013.
The 7.9 million viewers surpassed the 7.4 million that watched the Mets beat the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS Thursday.
The game averaged 20.6 percent of homes in the Chicago area and 17.0 in New York, a much narrower gap between the cities than those seen during the teams' respective Division Series.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
