The final game of the World Series hit a series-high in the overnight ratings — and trounced Sunday Night Football — but was still no match for last year.
Sunday’s Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Game 5 earned a 12.3 overnight rating on FOX, down 4% from Dodgers-Astros last year (12.8) and down 20% from Indians-Cubs in 2016 (15.3).
The 12.3 is the third-highest for a World Series Game 5 since 2009 (Yankees-Phillies: 12.8). Last year and 2016 hold the top spots. Boston’s title-clinching win topped the previous Game 5 clincher — Royals-Mets in 2015 — by 5% (vs. 11.7).
Head-to-head, Game 5 trounced the competing Saints-Vikings Sunday Night Football game on NBC (9.5). The World Series has beaten SNF in three straight years, each time by at least 27%.
Game 5 delivered the highest overnight of the World Series, well ahead of the previous mark of 10.0 for Game 1.
Despite the strong numbers, Game 5 closed out a clean sweep of declines for the World Series. All five games declined from both last year and 2016.
Game 5 drew a 43.2 rating in Boston, up 12% from the Red Sox’ previous World Series Game 5 in 2013 (38.5). Compared to Boston’s previous World Series clinchers, overnights fell 22% from Game 6 in 2013 (55.2), 22% from Game 4 in 2007 (55.3) and 27% from Game 4 in 2004 (59.0).
The game had a 26.0 rating in Los Angeles, down 21% from last year’s Game 5 (32.8).
[Numbers from Fox Sports PR/Twitter 10.29]
