Royals-Blue Jays ALCS opener draws 41.3 rating in KC

The prospect of a competitive American League Championship Series between the Royals and the Blue Jays — and Kansas City fans — added up to a strong television rating on Fox for Friday’s Game 1.

The game drew a 4.0 rating nationally, up 29 percent from a comparable game last year, the Giants-Cardinals NLCS Game 1.

The Royals-Jays game pulled in a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic, a 60 percent increase over last year’s Giants-Cards.

Some 6.2 million viewers turned into the Royals’ 5-0 victory.

In the Kansas City market, the game earned a tremendous 41.3 rating. That’s business as usual for a team that drew the highest local rating over a full season in baseball since 2002.