Ratings for start of MLB's division series up 41 percent

A combination of tight matchups, dramatic finishes and the presence of Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge combined to drive up television ratings for the start of MLB's division series.

Games on Fox's family of networks and Turner's family of networks saw a 41 percent spike in ratings from last year, according to Fox's insights and analytics president Mike Mulvihill.

Fox and FS1 aired the first two games of the New York Mets-Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres-Los Angeles Dodgers series over the weekend, and the games averaged 3.6 million viewers. That's the highest mark for Fox through Games 1 and 2 of the division series since the network started airing the round in 2014.

The two American League Division Series, Detroit Tigers-Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals-New York Yankees, started Saturday on TBS and Max, and they also attracted increased viewership over the equivalent games last year. Front Office Sports reported that the ALDS Game 1 ratings rose 21 percent.

All four division series were tied at one win apiece, the first time that has happened in the three decades that the round has been contested.

The networks also benefited from the presence of the sport's two most famous -- and arguably best -- players.

NL Most Valuable player front-runner Ohtani is in the postseason for the first time, capping a historic campaign in which he became the first player in history to amass 50-plus home runs and 50-plus stolen bases in the same year. It's his first season with the Dodgers after he played six years with the perennial also-ran Los Angeles Angels.

Judge, likely headed for his second AL MVP honor, led the majors with 58 homers and 144 RBIs for the Yankees.

--Field Level Media