The Phillies/Yankees World Series got off to a strong start on FOX Wednesday night.
The Phillies’ Game 1 win drew an 11.9/19 final rating and 19.5 million viewers on FOX, up 29% in ratings and 33% in viewership from Phillies/Rays Game 1 last year (9.2, 14.6 mil), and up 13% and 16%, respectively, from Rockies/Red Sox Game 1 in ’07 (10.5, 16.9 mil).
Compared to Game 1 of the 2003 World Series, the last to feature the Yankees, Wednesday’s Game 1 was up 9% and 10%, respectively, from a 10.9/20 and 17.7 million for Marlins/Yankees.
Phillies/Yankees Game 1 ranks as the highest rated, most-viewed Game 1 of the World Series since 2004, the second-most viewed Game 1 of the decade, and the fifth most-viewed Game 1 since the 1994 strike. Keep in mind that prior to 2007, Game 1 of the World Series typically aired on a Saturday night.
Wednesday’s game was also the highest rated, most-viewed World Series game since Red Sox/Rockies Game 4 in ’07 (12.6, 20.9 mil), and the highest rated, most-viewed non-decisive game since Red Sox/Cardinals Game 3 in ’04 (15.7, 24.4 mil).
Despite the strong numbers, this marks the lowest rating on record for a non-Saturday World Series game involving the Yankees.
To put the numbers in perspective, not a single game of the 2008 Phillies/Rays World Series drew a double-digit rating. The 19.5 million viewers for Game 1 tops the highest rated game of the NBA Finals (Game 4, 16.0 mil), the Daytona 500 (16.0 mil), the race segment of the Kentucky Derby (16.3 mil), and the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game (17.6 mil).
Phillies/Yankees Game 1 currently ranks as the third-most viewed non-NFL sporting event of the entire year, behind only the Rose Bowl (20.6 mil) and the BCS National Championship Game (26.8 mil).
Game 1 drew a 44.5/59 rating in Philadelphia, up 25% from a 35.7/53 for Phillies/Rays Game 1 last year. In New York, Game 1 drew a 29.7/43 rating, up 11% from a 26.7/40 for Marlins/Yankees Game 1 in ’03.
In the key adults 18-49 demographic, Game 1 drew a 6.3/17 rating, up 31% from a 4.8/13 last year. That ties the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game (6.3/16), and tops Game 1 of the NBA Finals (5.4).
Ratings and viewership for Game 1 of the World Series since 1995
| Year | Date | Game | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Wed., 10/28/09 | Phillies/Yankees G1 | FOX |
11.9/19
|
19.5 mil
|
| 2008 | Wed., 10/22/08 | Phillies/Rays G1 | FOX |
9.2/15
|
14.6 mil
|
| 2007 | Wed., 10/24/07 | Rockies/Red Sox G1 | FOX |
10.5/18
|
16.9 mil
|
| 2006 | Sat., 10/21/06 | Cardinals/Tigers G1 | FOX |
8.0/15
|
12.8 mil
|
| 2005 | Sat., 10/22/05 | Astros/White Sox G1 | FOX |
9.5/17
|
15.0 mil
|
| 2004 | Sat., 10/23/04 | Cardinals/Red Sox G1 | FOX |
13.7/25
|
23.2 mil
|
| 2003 | Sat., 10/18/03 | Marlins/Yankees G1 | FOX |
10.9/20
|
17.7 mil
|
| 2002 | Sat., 10/19/02 | Giants/Angels G1 | FOX |
9.4/18
|
15.5 mil
|
| 2001 | Sat., 10/27/01 | Yankees/D’Backs G1 | FOX |
10.4/19
|
16.5 mil
|
| 2000 | Sat., 10/21/00 | Mets/Yankees G1 | FOX |
11.5/22
|
17.6 mil
|
| 1999 | Sat., 10/23/99 | Yankees/Braves G1 | NBC |
14.2/26
|
22.0 mil
|
| 1998 | Sat., 10/17/98 | Padres/Yankees G1 | FOX |
12.4/23
|
18.7 mil
|
| 1997 | Sat., 10/18/97 | Indians/Marlins G1 | NBC |
11.3/22
|
16.8 mil
|
| 1996 | Sun., 10/20/96 | Braves/Yankees G1 | FOX |
15.7/25
|
23.7 mil
|
| 1995 | Sat., 10/21/95 | Indians/Braves G1 | ABC |
16.4/30
|
25.2 mil
|
