As of Monday , the MLB playoffs are in the early stages, with the Wild Card Round concluding on October 1 and the League Division Series (LDS) underway. The 12-team postseason features high-stakes matchups like Cubs vs. Brewers (NL), Yankees vs. Blue Jays (AL), Dodgers vs. Phillies (NL), and Tigers vs. Astros (AL).
Early ratings data indicates continued momentum from the 2025 regular season, which saw double-digit viewership gains across platforms—building on the 2024 postseason's 63% World Series surge. While full playoff numbers are emerging, broadcasters report strong starts, with total viewing minutes on MLB.TV already up 15% from comparable 2024 periods. This positions MLB for robust media negotiations ahead of 2028 rights expirations.
The playoffs are broadcast nationally on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, FOX, and FS1, with streaming on MLB.TV and services like DirecTV or Sling TV. Attendance at playoff games is up 5% from 2024's Wild Card, driven by faster games (avg. 2:37) and star appeal.
Key Viewership Highlights (Early Playoffs)Preliminary data through October 5 shows solid gains, particularly in big-market games:
✔Wild Card Round: Averaged 3.1 million viewers across ESPN/ABC, up 14% from 2024's 2.72 million. The Red Sox-Yankees AL Wild Card Game 1 drew 6.52 million on ESPN, the highest Wild Card opener since 2018 (+25% YoY).
✔Division Series (Ongoing): Early LDS games averaged 3.8 million, with FOX/FS1 up 12% from 2024. Yankees-Blue Jays Game 1 hit 4.2 million, boosted by Aaron Judge's home run drama.
✔Streaming Boost: MLB.TV postseason minutes are pacing +20% YoY, with mobile app traffic +22%—the highest early-playoff start ever.
These figures reflect a fragmented ecosystem, with linear TV holding steady while streaming captures incremental growth. Full LDS and LCS data will solidify by mid-October, but trends mirror the regular season's +10-29% partner gains.
Focus on Younger Demographics (18-34)
The 2025 playoffs are amplifying MLB's youth renaissance, with the 18-34 demo leading gains—a critical shift for a sport historically skewed older (median fan age ~53). Early data shows:
✔Viewership Spikes: +45% in 18-34 for Wild Card games on ESPN (+21% overall), extending TBS's regular-season +69% youth surge. MLB Network's playoff previews drew +15% in this group.
✔Streaming Dominance: MLB.TV's 18-34 usage is up 28% YoY, with 60% of postseason streams from mobile devices—fueled by social clips (e.g., Judge's highlights trending on TikTok/Instagram, +35% engagement).
✔Ticket and Engagement Trends: Single-game buyers aged 18-34 rose 12% in playoffs (avg. age 42, down from 45 in 2024). A league survey notes 82% of young fans cite shorter games and international stars (e.g., Ohtani's Dodgers-Phillies hype) as hooks.
Broader Momentum: Regular-season youth viewership hit records (e.g., MLB.TV's 9 most-trafficked days in 2025), correlating with +108% youth participation since 2015. Platforms like Roku's MLB Zone (+20% youth traffic) and Apple TV's Friday games underscore digital-first appeal.