World Series ratings tied a record-low in Game 1.
Tuesday’s Nationals-Astros World Series Game 1 averaged a 7.3 rating and 12.19 million viewers on FOX, tying Giants-Royals five years ago as the lowest rated opener on record. It ranks as the second-least watched, edging Giants-Royals (12.194M to 12.191M).
Washington’s win, which peaked with 14.27 million from 10-10:15 PM ET, also ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched World Series game overall since 2014. From 2015-18, no game fell below a 7.8 or 13.21 million.
Overall, it delivered the eighth-smallest World Series audience on record and tied the seventh-lowest rating.
Ratings and viewership fell 11% from last year’s opener (Dodgers-Red Sox: 8.2, 13.76M) and 16% and 19% respectively from 2017 (Astros-Dodgers: 8.7, 14.98M).
Across all Fox Sports platforms, the game had 12.69 million (-11%).
Locally, Game 1 averaged a 34.1 rating and 56 share in Houston — up 19% from Astros-Dodgers in 2017 (28.6) and off 5% from the Astros’ first-ever World Series appearance in 2005 (36.0).
The game also drew a 23.1/42 in Washington D.C., the market’s highest for a baseball game since Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. By comparison, the Capitals’ Stanley Cup Final Game 1 last year averaged a 16.0 on NBC.
Game 1 drew a 3.1 rating in adults 18-49 (-16%), falling below 2014 (3.4) as the lowest for a World Series opener. It also had a 2.1 in adults 18-34 (-22%).
If historically low by World Series standards, Game 1 was television’s highest rated non-NFL program in 18-49 since the Women’s World Cup Final in July.
As one would expect, the World Series easily topped the NBA’s competing Opening Night games, beating the Lakers-Clippers matchup on TNT by 240% (3.58M). It was no match for Game 1 of last season’s Raptors-Warriors NBA Finals, which at a 7.9 and 13.38 million was the lowest rated and least-watched opener since 2009.
[Nielsen estimates from Fox Sports, ShowBuzz Daily 10.23]
