Heading into the playoffs, MLB Network had their best ever season

MLB Network has consistently seen their viewership totals tick up in recent years. Heading into their airing of NLDS games this Saturday and Monday, MLB Network is basking in the glow of the best regular season in network history.

According to data provided by Nielsen, MLB Network’s primetime game telecasts averaged 279,000 viewers, a 6% increase on last year’s 264,000 viewers and the fifth consecutive year where primetime live games have seen an increase in total viewers. Considering that the network only launched in 2009, those consistent increases are admirable. MLB Tonight also had its best regular season ever, averaging 140,000 viewers, a 7% rise from 2013.

The regular season ended strong for MLB Network as well. Last Thursday’s Orioles-Yankees telecast, Derek Jeter’s final game at Yankee Stadium, drew 837,000 viewers, the most-watched regular season game on MLB Network. The game also peaked at 1.6 million viewers for Jeter’s walk off single.

I’m curious as to whether or not MLB Network will be able to crack the one million viewer mark for either of their two NLDS games. Saturday, they’ll get the Dodgers and Cardinals at 9:30 PM, a great timeslot considering the relatively weak slate of college football games going on at that hour. Monday’s game between the Nationals and Giants will start at either 3 PM or 5 PM on the east coast, and could be a clincher for San Francisco. Last year, MLB Network had the Pirates and Cardinals on a Friday afternoon, and the A’s and Tigers on a Monday afternoon. Potentially getting two evening games with major market clubs could be a massive boost for the ratings of the games, and would put a bow on a fabulous year.