The Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday averaged 7.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, marking the most-watched opener of an MLB Wild Card Series in at least 20 years, according to Yahoo Sports.
The matchup drew the largest postseason audience for that series format in two decades despite the absence of Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. The game aired on both NBC's traditional broadcast and the streaming platform Peacock.
The viewership total underscores the enduring appeal of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in October baseball. The Wild Card Series, introduced in 2020 as a best-of-three playoff format, has generally commanded smaller audiences than the traditional League Championship Series and World Series. The 7.3 million average represents a significant spike for the relatively young format.
No additional details about the game result, the specific date within the broader Wild Card period, or comparative viewership figures from other recent Wild Card openers were provided in the source material.