Just like Game 1, ratings for Game 2 of the World Series increased double-digits from last year but remained in record-low territory.
Wednesday’s Braves-Astros World Series Game 2 averaged a 5.8 rating and 10.28 million viewers on FOX (10.54 million across all Fox platforms), up 14% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (Rays-Dodgers: 5.1, 9.11M) but down 18% and 14% respectively from 2019 (Nationals-Astros: 7.1, 11.93M).
Houston’s win, which peaked with 11.75 million from 8:45-9 PM ET, tops only last year as the lowest rated and least-watched Game 2 of the World Series on record. Overall, it ranks as the sixth-lowest rated and eighth-least watched World Series game ever — joining Tuesday’s Game 1 (6.1, 10.81M) and five of last year’s six games in the bottom ten.
If historically low by World Series standards, Game 2 nonetheless averaged the seventh-largest sports audience — excluding football and the Olympics — since the wave of cancellations and postponements that decimated the industry in March of last year. Outside of football and the Olympics, only nine sportscasts since 2019 have cracked the ten million mark.
Though up double-digits overall, Game 2 actually declined from last year in adults 18-34 (1.3, -24%) and 18-49 (2.2, -4%). The 1.3 rating in 18-34 is almost certainly the lowest ever for a World Series game in the demo, falling below any of last year’s six games (the lowest of which scored a 1.5 in the demo).
The game did score an uptick in adults 25-54 (from 2.8 to 2.9).
Like Game 1, Game 2 of the World Series comfortably outdrew its NBA Finals equivalent in ratings (5.8 to 5.1) and viewership (10.28 to 9.38M), but was no match in the young adult demos. Bucks-Suns had considerably stronger demo ratings of 3.1 in 18-49, 2.6 in 18-34 and 3.5 in 25-54 back in July.
Locally, Game 2 drew a 27.4 rating and 50 share in Houston — down 14% and 6% respectively from the Astros’ previous World Series Game 2 in 2019 (31.7/53). Atlanta turned in a 23.3/42. The Braves’ previous World Series Game 2 in 1999 averaged a 36.7/49 on NBC. Local figures for Game 1 were not immediately available.
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 10.28, ShowBuzz Daily 10.28, network PR]
