Whoa Cubs Whoa: 40 Million Watch Game 7 of the World Series

The Cubs’ first championship since 1908 was always going to be a huge draw, but the circumstances of an extra-inning Game 7 thriller were as perfect as FOX could have hoped for.

Game 7 of the Cubs/Indians World Series delivered a 21.8 rating and 40.0 million viewers on FOX Wednesday night, per Nielsen fast-nationals — up 58% in ratings and 70% in viewership from Giants/Royals in 2014 (13.7, 23.5M) and up 48% and 58%, respectively, from Rangers/Cardinals on a Friday night in 2011 (14.7, 25.4M), the two most-recent game sevens.

The Cubs’ title-clinching win, which peaked at a 27.1 and 49.9 million from 11:30-11:45 PM ET, ranks as the most-watched Major League Baseball game in a quarter-century, since Game 7 of the 1991 Braves/Twins World Series (50.3M). The previous high over that span was 39.1 million for Game 7 of Yankees/Diamondbacks in 2001. In ratings, it was the top MLB telecast since Game 7 of the 2001 series (23.5).

All seven games of the Cubs/Indians series hit multi-year highs in ratings and viewership, with Wednesday’s 25-year mark coming on the heels of 19-year highs for Games 5 and 6.

Figures do not include Spanish-language viewership on Fox Deportes (565K) or the streaming audience on Fox Sports GO (344K), both of which broke records that were previously set in Game 6. With those numbers included, Game 7 had 40.9 million viewers.

In adults 18-49, Game 7 had a 12.6 rating — up 91% from 2014 (6.6), up 70% from 2011 (7.4), and the highest for any MLB telecast since Game 7 in 2001 (14.6). In adults 18-34, it had a 10.5 rating; comparable figures in 2014 were not available.

Compared to other sports, Game 7 earned a larger audience than any basketball game on record — topping the NBA’s all-time high of 35.9 million for Game 6 of the Bulls/Jazz NBA Finals and college basketball’s record of 35.1 million for Michigan State/Indiana State in the 1979 national championship. It topped every college football game since at least 1991, surpassing the high water mark of 35.6 million for USC/Texas in 2006. It also topped the largest hockey audience in U.S. television history, 34.2 million for United States/Russia in the 1980 Winter Olympics semifinal (a.k.a. the Miracle on Ice), and the largest soccer audience in this country, 26.7 million for last year’s Women’s World Cup Final.

It should be noted that as the population of U.S. television viewers increases, it is easier to attract larger audiences than it was in the 1990s, 1980s or 1970s. That is why the Super Bowl typically sets an all-time viewership record, even as the all-time ratings record of 60.2 for the series finale of M*A*S*H will likely remain untouched. As a result, Wednesday’s game had a lower rating than some of the above listed matchups, including Bulls/Jazz (22.3) and Michigan State/Indiana State (24.1).

For the year, Game 7 delivered the fifth-largest audience for any television program, including the NFL and the Olympics. Super Bowl 50 holds the top spot (111.9M) followed by the Patriots/Broncos AFC Championship Game (53.3M), the Cardinals/Panthers NFC Championship Game (45.7M) and Steelers/Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round game (43.0M). No night of the Rio Summer Olympics had as large an audience, with viewership topping out at 33.4 million for night four. Game 7 of the NBA Finals had 31.0 million in June.

Excluding the NFL, Game 7 was also the year’s top program in adults 18-49 — surpassing Game 7 of the NBA Finals (11.3), the Academy Awards (10.5) and the top night of the Olympics (10.0). It ranks second for the year in adults 18-34, behind Game 7 of the NBA Finals (10.8).

(Tue. numbers from Fox Sports, with additional info from ShowBuzz Daily 11/3)