Game 4 of the World Series was the highest rated of the series so far, though barely.
The Phillies’ 10-2 win over the Rays drew a 9.3 final rating and 15.5 million viewers on FOX Sunday night, down 26% in ratings and viewership from a 12.6 and 20.9 million for the clinching Game 4 of Red Sox/Rockies in ’07.
Game 4 edged Game 1 (9.2 rating, 14.6 million viewers) as the highest rated, most viewed game of the series.
The 9.3 rating is the lowest in history for a World Series game on a Sunday, easily surpassing the previous record low of 11.1 for Game 2 of the 2005 Astros/White Sox series.
Through four games, the 2008 World Series is averaging a 8.0/14 rating and 13 million viewers, down 25% and 24% from a 10.6/18 and 17.1 million for last year’s four-game Red Sox/Rockies series. Phillies/Rays is also down 21% and 17% from a 10.1 and 15.7 million for the first four games of the 2006 Cardinals/Tigers World Series, currently the lowest rated ever.
To put the 8.0 average in perspective, the first four games of June’s NBA Finals averaged an 8.8 rating. The 8.0 puts the World Series behind the final round of The Masters (8.6), the Kentucky Derby (8.8) and Belmont Stakes (9.0), and well behind the Daytona 500 (10.2).
So far, the Phillies/Rays World Series has accounted for four of the six lowest rated World Series games in history.
Lowest rated World Series games ever.
* delayed due to rain
6.1: Rays/Phillies Game 3 (Sat., 10/25/08, 10 PM FOX)*
8.0: Cardinals/Tigers Game 1 (Sat., 10/21/06, 8 PM FOX)
8.1: Phillies/Rays Game 2 (Thu., 10/23/08, 8 PM FOX)
8.5: Red Sox/Rockies Game 3 (Sat., 10/24/07, 8 PM FOX)
9.2: Phillies/Rays Game 1 (Wed., 10/22/08, 8 PM FOX)
9.3: Rays/Phillies Game 4 (Sun., 10/26/08, 8 PM FOX)
