After Game 4 topped 20 million viewers, Game 5 of the 2009 World Series fell back towards earth on Monday night.
The Phillies’ Game 5 win over the Yankees drew a 10.6/16 rating and 17.1 million viewers on FOX Monday night, up 10% and 8%, respectively, from Rays/Phillies Game 5 last year (9.6, 15.8 mil). Last year’s game took place over the course of two separate nights due to rain.
Monday’s game ranks as the highest rated, most-viewed Game 5 of the World Series since 2003, when Yankees/Marlins Game 5 drew a 13.2/21 and 19.9 million viewers. However, the 10.6 rating is the fourth-lowest for a Game 5 since ’68, ahead of only Rays/Phillies Game 5 last year (9.6), Tigers/Cardinals Game 5 in ’06 (10.3) and Angels/Giants Game 5 in ’02 (10.0).
Excluding Saturday night games, Yankees/Phillies Game 5 is the lowest rated World Series game to involve the Yankees since at least ’76.
While the numbers may not be spectacular historically, Game 5 still put up a strong performance. The game topped Monday Night Football on ESPN head-to-head by 38% in both ratings and viewership (10.6 and 17.1 million to 7.7 and 12.4 million).
Additionally, the 17.1 million viewers still topped events such as the race segment of the Kentucky Derby (16.3 mil), the Daytona 500 (16.0 mil), and the most-viewed game of the NBA Finals (16.0 mil).
On a less positive note, Game 5 was only the second-highest rated program of the night on broadcast, behind Dancing With the Stars on ABC (10.9/16).
Entering Wednesday’s Game 6, the Yankees/Phillies World Series is averaging an 11.4/19 rating and 18.7 million viewers on FOX, up 36% in ratings and 38% in viewership from last year’s Rays/Phillies series (8.4/14, 13.6 mil), and up 8% and 9%, respectively, from Red Sox/Rockies in ’07 (10.6/18, 17.1 mil).
Phillies/Yankees is on pace to be the highest rated, most-viewed World Series since 2004. For comparison’s sake, the 2003 World Series — the last to feature the Yankees — averaged a 12.6 rating and 19.6 million viewers through 5 games.
Ratings/viewership for Game 5 of the World Series since ’95
| Year | Date | Game | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mon., 11/2/09 | Yankees/Phillies G5 | FOX |
10.6/16
|
17.1 mil
|
| 2008 | Mon., 10/27/08 | Rays/Phillies G5 | FOX |
9.6/14
|
15.8 mil
|
| 2007 |
no game
|
||||
| 2006 | Fri., 10/27/06 | Tigers/Cardinals G5 | FOX |
10.3/18
|
16.3 mil
|
| 2005 |
no game
|
||||
| 2004 |
no game
|
||||
| 2003 | Thu., 10/23/03 | Yankees/Marlins G5 | FOX |
13.2/21
|
19.9 mil
|
| 2002 | Thu., 10/24/02 | Angels/Giants G5 | FOX |
10.0/17
|
15.8 mil
|
| 2001 | Thu., 11/1/01 | D’Backs/Yankees G5 | FOX |
13.8/24
|
22.7 mil
|
| 2000 | Thu., 10/26/00 | Yankees/Mets G5 | FOX |
13.1/21
|
18.9 mil
|
| 1999 |
no game
|
||||
| 1998 |
no game
|
||||
| 1997 | Thu., 10/23/97 | Marlins/Indians G5 | NBC |
17.2/30
|
24.2 mil
|
| 1996 | Thu., 10/24/96 | Yankees/Braves G5 | FOX |
20.0/32
|
28.5 mil
|
| 1995 | Thu., 10/25/95 | Braves/Indians G5 | ABC |
21.6/34
|
31.7 mil
|
Lowest rated Yankees World Series games since ’76
| # | Date | Game | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat., 10/31/09 | Yankees/Phillies G3 | FOX |
9.1/18
|
| 2 | Sat., 10/27/01 | Yankees/D’Backs G1 | FOX |
10.4/19
|
| 3 | Mon., 11/2/09 | Yankees/Phillies G5 | FOX |
10.6/16
|
| 4 | Sat., 10/18/03 | Marlins/Yankees G1 | FOX |
10.9/20
|
| 5 | Sat., 10/21/00 | Mets/Yankees G1 | FOX |
11.5/22
|
| 6 | Thu., 10/29/09 | Phillies/Yankees G2 | FOX |
11.7/19
|
| 7 | Wed., 10/28/09 | Phillies/Yankees G1 | FOX |
11.9/19
|
| T8 | Tue., 10/24/00 | Yankees/Mets G3 | FOX |
12.4/21
|
| T8 | Sat., 10/17/98 | Padres/Yankees G1 | FOX |
12.4/23
|
| T10 | Tue., 10/21/03 | Yankees/Marlins G3 | FOX |
12.5/21
|
| T10 | Wed., 10/25/00 | Yankees/Mets G4 | FOX |
12.5/21
|
Source: TV By the Numbers
