Given the matchup, far better ratings could have been expected for Game 1 of the World Series.
Tuesday’s Dodgers-Red Sox World Series Game 1 earned an 8.2 rating and 13.76 million viewers on FOX, down 6% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Astros-Dodgers last year (8.7, 14.98M) and down 27% and 29% respectively from Cubs-Indians in 2016 (11.3, 19.37M).
Boston’s win, which peaked with 15.82 million viewers, was the lowest rated and least-watched Game 1 of the World Series since Giants-Royals in 2014 (7.3, 12.19M).
Ratings and viewership were the fourth-lowest on record for a World Series opener, ahead of 2014, 2012 (Giants-Tigers: 7.6, 12.24M) and 2006 (Cardinals-Tigers: 8.0, 12.84M).
Versus the Red Sox’ previous World Series opener, against St. Louis in 2013, ratings fell 5% (from 8.6) and viewership 4% (from 14.4M).
It was also the lowest rated and least-watched World Series game overall since 2015, when Game 4 of Royals-Mets had a 7.8 and 13.58 million.
Including streaming and Spanish-language viewership, Game 1 had 14.33 million — down 11% from last year (15.46M) and still a four-year low.
Game 1 delivered a 3.7 rating in adults 18-49, down 5% from last year (3.9), down 34% from 2016 (5.6), and the lowest Game 1 rating in the demo since 2014 (3.4). Ratings also hit a four-year low in adults 18-34 (2.7, -13%).
In adults 25-54, ratings slipped just a tick from last year (from 4.5 to 4.4).
Tuesday’s game continued a downward trend for this year’s postseason. The first three rounds of the playoffs declined eight percent in viewership.
A full list of World Series ratings dating back to 1972 is available here.
World Series Game 1 Ratings, Viewership, Trend
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 10.24, Fox Sports PR/Twitter 10.24]
