Ratings and viewership for Game 2 of the World Series were among the lowest ever, but improved over Game 1.
Game 2 of the Giants/Royals World Series drew a 7.9 rating and 12.9 million viewers on FOX Wednesday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — down 5% in ratings and 3% in viewership from Cardinals/Red Sox Game 2 last year (8.3, 13.4M) but up a tick and 5%, respectively, from Tigers/Giants Game 2 in 2012 (7.8, 12.3M). Both of those games aired opposite NFL Thursday Night Football.
Fox Deportes earned 279,000 viewers for its coverage, up 81% from last year (154K), and enough to bring the total up to 13.2 million — down 3% from last year’s combined audience (13.6M) and up 6% from 2012 (12.5M).
Compared to Game 1 on Tuesday night, ratings and viewership for Game 2 increased by 8% and 6%, respectively — the largest rise from Game 1 to Game 2 of the World Series since 2006, and just the third increase between the first two games over that span.
Even so, the Royals’ win earned the second-lowest rating ever for Game 2 of the World Series and the ninth-lowest World Series rating overall. The Giants have played in six of the nine lowest rated games. Viewership was the third-lowest for a Game 2, ahead of only 2012 and Phillies/Rays in 2008 (12.8M).
Game 2 drew a 3.4 rating among adults 18-49, down 6% from last year (3.6) and down a tick from 2012 (3.5). The 3.4 is the lowest for a Game 2 of the World Series since at least 2001. Despite the lower numbers, Game 2 tied Modern Family as the television’s top program in the demo Wednesday night and topped the ABC sitcom as the most-watched overall.
Locally, the game drew a 49.7 rating in Kansas City — up 3% from Game 1 (48.2) and the top Game 2 rating in any market since Boston in 2007 (55.3). It had a 28.7 in the Bay Area, down a tick from 2012 (28.8) and down 21% from Rangers/Giants Game 2 in 2010 (36.4).
(Wed. numbers from Fox Sports, with additional info from TV By the Numbers)
