After six low-rated games, the World Series finished strong on FOX.
Game 7 of the Giants/Royals World Series drew a 13.7 final rating and 23.5 million viewers on FOX Wednesday night, down 7% in ratings and viewership from Rangers/Cardinals Game 7 on a Friday in 2011 (14.7, 25.4M) and down 24% in both measures from Giants/Angels Game 7 on a Sunday in 2002 (17.9, 30.8M), the two most recent game sevens.
The game drew an additional 373,000 viewers on Fox Deportes, bringing the total viewership to 23.9 million.
The Giants’ title-clinching victory ranks as the highest rated and most-watched Major League Baseball game since Rangers/Cardinals Game 7 in 2011, and is second in both categories since Red Sox/Cardinals Game 4 in 2004 (18.2, 28.8M). Game 7 improved on the previous series-high for Giants/Royals — an 8.1 and 13.4 million for Game 6 — by 69% in ratings and 75% in viewership. That is the largest increase from Game 6 to Game 7 of the World Series on record.
Excluding the NFL and the Olympics, Game 7 had the largest audience for any sporting event since the World Cup final on ABC and Univision in July (26.5M) and the largest audience on a single network since the BCS National Championship Game on ESPN in January (25.6M). Those are the only sporting events this year — again excluding the NFL and the Olympics — that drew a larger audience. Game 7 topped every game of the NBA Playoffs, every game of the NCAA Tournament, all four golf majors, and all four Triple Crown horse races.
On the strength of Game 7, FOX had its best night in primetime since January of 2013 (excludes the Super Bowl) and its best Wednesday night since May 2011.
Even with the strong performance, Wednesday’s game ranks as the lowest rated and least-viewed Game 7 of the World Series. Giants/Royals now accounts for the lowest rated Game 1, Game 4, Game 5, Game 6 and Game 7. Ratings and viewership have declined for each successive Game 7 since 2001.
The Bay Area turned in a 38.1 rating for Game 7, the highest for any World Series game in the market since Giants/Angels Game 7 in 2002 (41.5). It drew a whopping 58.3 in Kansas City, the market’s highest on record for an MLB game.
Among adults 18-49, it drew a 6.6 rating — down 11% from 2011 (7.4) and down 41% from 2002 (11.1).
Most-Watched World Series Games, Past Decade
| # | Game | Series | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers/Cardinals | 2011, Game 7 | 14.7 | 25.4M |
| 2 | Giants/Royals | 2014, Game 7 | 13.7 | 23.5M |
| 3 | Yankees/Phillies | 2009, Game 4 | 13.5 | 22.8M |
| 4 | Phillies/Yankees | 2009, Game 6 | 13.4 | 22.3M |
| 5 | Rangers/Cardinals | 2011, Game 6 | 12.7 | 21.1M |
| 6 | Red Sox/Rockies | 2007, Game 4 | 12.6 | 20.9M |
| 7 | White Sox/Astros | 2005, Game 4 | 13.0 | 20.0M |
| 8 | Phillies/Yankees | 2009, Game 1 | 11.9 | 19.5M |
| 9 | Cardinals/Red Sox | 2013, Game 6 | 11.3 | 19.2M |
| 10 | Phillies/Yankees | 2009, Game 2 | 11.7 | 18.9M |
(Wed. numbers from Fox Sports)
