Ratings and viewership increased for the second game of the 2011 World Series on FOX.
Thursday’s Rangers/Cardinals Game 2 drew an 8.9 final rating and 14.280 million viewers on FOX, up 5% in ratings and 1% in viewership from last year (TEX/SF G2: 8.5, 14.130M), and down 24% in both measures compared to 2009 (PHI/NYY G2: 11.7, 18.897M).
The Rangers’ series-tying win is tied as the ninth-lowest rated World Series game on record, and the sixth-lowest when Saturday night games are excluded.
Though the numbers were low compared to previous years, Thursday’s game marked the first time since 2007 that ratings and viewership rose from Game 1 to Game 2 of the World Series.
In addition, this is the first time since Yankees/Phillies Game 5 in 2009 that any World Series game has had an increase over the previous year.
Game 2 earned a 4.0 rating among adults 18-49, even with last year (4.0) and down 31% from 2009 (5.8). Wednesday’s Game 1 drew a 4.2 in the demo.
Rangers/Cardinals ranked second for the night on broadcast in household ratings, viewership and adults 18-49, behind CBS’ The Big Bang Theory (9.0, 14.929M, 5.1 A18-49).
For some perspective, Game 2 of the Mavericks/Heat NBA Finals earned a 9.3 and 15.522 million viewers.
Through two games, the Rangers/Cardinals World Series has averaged an 8.8 rating and 14.2 million viewers on FOX, up a tick in ratings but down 3% in viewership compared to last year (8.7, 14.6M), and down 25% and 26%, respectively, from 2009 (11.8, 19.2M).
UPDATE 10/24: Game 2 of the World Series was tied as the ninth-lowest rated World Series game ever (at the time), not the eleventh.
(This year’s numbers from Fox Sports Group press release via TV By the Numbers; The Voice of TV)
