World Series sets another low for television viewers

Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-2 Game 3 win over Tampa Bay Rays was least-watched World Series game ever, beating record set two days earlier in Game 2.

Friday night’s game was seen by an aver of 8,156,000 viewers 2 and higher on Fox, drawing a 4.3 rating and 10 share, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday. Game 2 was seen by an aver of 8,950,000 (5.0/11) and Game 1 by an aver of 9,195,000 (5.1/11).

Tampa Bay’s walk-off 8-7 win in Game 4 on Saturday night was seen by an aver of 9,332,000, drawing a 4.8 rating and 12 share, and Dodgers’ 4-2 victory in Game 5 on Sunday night by an aver of 10,059,000, drawing a 5.3 rating and 11 share.

Before this year, only World Series game with fewer than 10 million viewers was Philadelphia’s rain-delayed Game 3 win over Rays in 2008, viewed by 9,836,000. That game, played on a Saturday night, was delayed by rain for 91 minutes at start to 10:06 p.m. EDT and final out was at 1:47 a.m.

Last year’s Series between Washington and Houston drew 12.3 million viewers for Game 3; 10,285,000 for Game 4; and 11,464,000 for Game 5.

Still, Game 3 this year drew Fox's biggest Friday night audience since last year's Game 3 and Game 4 drew its biggest Saturday night audience since Big Ten championship in December.

Dodgers outdrew Lakers in Los Angeles market for comparable games in NBA Finals against Miami: 18.4/37 for Game 3, 61% above 11.4/25 for NBA Game 3, 21.1/43 for Game 4, 54% above 13.7/26 for NBA Game 4; and 22.2/41 for Game 5, 31% above 17.0/33 for NBA Game 5.

rating is percent of television households tuned in to a broadcast. share is percent viewing a telecast among those households with TVs on at time.

Ratings have been lower for sports this fall, a drop thought attributable to lower viewership during coronavirus pandemic and competition from programming related to presidential election.

Im credits: AP