As the Division Series commenced on Thursday, Major League Baseball announced the remaining start times for the final three games of each series in accordance with its broadcast partners. Under the current television contract signed in 2012, TBS has exclusive rights to the National League playoffs and FS1 holds exclusivity for the American League playoffs in odd years. ESPN Radio and the participating clubs will once again hold radio broadcast rights, (MLB.com).
In the event of having each American League Division Series reaching a 4th game on Monday, every playoff qualifier will see action beginning with the Houston Astros hosting the Kansas City Royals at 1:07 PM ET, followed by the Texas Rangers playing host to the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at 4:07 PM ET. In the National League, Wrigley Field will be the site of their first playoff game since 2008 as the Chicago Cubs face the St. Louis Cardinals at 5:07 PM ET on TBS, with the Los Angeles Dodgers traveling cross country against Matt Harvey and the New York Mets to close the evening at 8:37 PM ET.
The start times for the National League Division Series games will be thirty minutes earlier if any of the American League series ends in a three game sweep. On subsequent evenings, Games 4 and 5 between the Mets and the Dodgers will be in prime time on the east coast either at 8:07 PM ET or 7:07 ET on October 14th or 16th, depending if any of other series have been completed to that point. Game 5 between Toronto and Texas will begin at 4:07 PM ET and Kansas City and Houston at 8:07 PM ET on October 14th to round out the remaining first round schedule.
Below is the compete list of the remaining start times and broadcast windows for the Division Series.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8th
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK TEX @ TOR (ALDS Game 1) 3:37 p.m. (ET) FS1 HOU @ KC (ALDS Game 1) 7:37 p.m. (ET)/6:37 p.m. (CT) FS1 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9th
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK TEX @ TOR (ALDS Game 2) 12:45 p.m. (ET) MLBN HOU @ KC (ALDS Game 2) 3:45 p.m. (ET)/2:45 p.m. (CT) FS1 CHI @ STL (NLDS Game 1) 6:45 p.m. (ET)/5:45 p.m. (CT) TBS NYM @ LAD (NLDS Game 1) 9:45 p.m. (ET)/6:45 p.m. (PT) TBS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK CHI @ STL (NLDS Game 2) 5:37 p.m. (ET)/4:37 p.m. (CT) TBS NYM @ LAD (NLDS Game 2) 9:07 p.m. (ET)/6:07 p.m. (PT) TBS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11TH
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK KC @ HOU (ALDS Game 3) 4:10 p.m. (ET) MLBN TOR @ TEX (ALDS Game 3) 8:10 p.m. (ET)/7:10 p.m. (CT) FS1 MONDAY, OCTOBER 12th
SCENARIO 1: (If four games on Monday)
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK KC @ HOU (ALDS Game 4) 1:07 p.m. (ET)/12:07 p.m. (CT) FS1 TOR @ TEX (ALDS Game 4) 4:07 p.m. (ET)/3:07 p.m. (CT) FS1 STL @ CHI (NLDS Game 3) 6:07 p.m. (ET)/5:07 p.m. (CT) TBS LAD @ NYM (NLDS Game 3) 8:37 p.m. (ET) TBS SCENARIO 2: (If two or three games on Monday)
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK (KC @ HOU or TOR @ TEX) 1:07 p.m. (ET)/12:07 p.m. (CT) FS1 STL @ CHI (NLDS Game 3) 4:37 p.m. (ET)/3:37 p.m. (CT) TBS LAD @ NYM (NLDS Game 3) 8:07 p.m. (ET) TBS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK STL @ CHI (NLDS Game 4) 4:37 p.m. (ET)/3:37 p.m. (CT) *Slides to 8:07 p.m. (ET)/7:07 p.m. (CT) if NYM-LAD series has ended TBS LAD @ NYM (NLDS Game 4) 8:07 p.m. (ET) TBS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK TEX @ TOR (ALDS Game 5) 4:07 p.m. (ET) *Slides to 8:07 p.m. (ET) if HOU-KC series has ended FS1 HOU @ KC (ALDS Game 5) 8:07 p.m. (ET)/7:07 p.m. (CT) FS1 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH
SERIES First Pitch NETWORK CHI @ STL (NLDS Game 5) 4:37 p.m. (ET)/3:37 p.m. (CT) *Slides to 8:07 p.m. (ET)/7:07 p.m. (CT) if NYM-LAD series has ended TBS NYM @ LAD (NLDS Game ) 8:07 p.m. (ET)/5:07 p.m. (PT) TBS ^ Italics indicate if necessary
^ Postseason schedule subject to change based on postponed and/or suspended games
2015 Division Series broadcast teams:
TEX vs TOR: Kenny Albert, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci (FS1)
HOU vs KC: Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz (FS1)
CHC vs STL: Brian Anderson, Joe Simpson, and Dennis Eckersley (TBS)
NYM vs LA: Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and Cal Ripken Jr. (TBS)
Division Series chart courtesy of MLB.com
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