The World Series scored a pair of three-year viewership highs over the weekend.
Sunday’s Astros-Braves World Series Game 5 averaged a 7.4 rating and 13.64 million viewers on FOX, marking the highest rated and most-watched Game 5 of the Fall Classic since 2018 (Red Sox-Dodgers: 10.0, 17.63M). Keep in mind it was the first World Series game with an NFL lead-in since that 2018 matchup.
The Astros’ season-saving win increased 39% in ratings and 36% in viewership from Dodgers-Rays last year (5.3, 10.06M) and 14% and 20% respectively from Astros-Nationals in 2019 (6.5, 11.39M).
The game delivered baseball’s highest rating and largest audience since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series (Nationals-Astros: 13.1, 23.22M). Excluding football and the Olympics, it ranks as the fourth most-watched sportscast since the wave of cancellations and postponements that decimated the industry in March of last year.
The World Series was no match for NBC’s competing Cowboys-Vikings Sunday Night Football game, which averaged an 8.7 and 15.68 million. Nonetheless, the two million viewer gap between the events is about half of last year’s four million viewer margin (NBC’s Seahawks-Cardinals: 14.31M; Dodgers-Rays: 10.06M).
Game 4 the previous night averaged a 5.65 and 10.51 million, marking the most-watched Game 4 of the World Series since 2018 (Red Sox-Dodgers: 13.56M). The Braves’ comeback win increased 18% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (4.8, 9.33M). Compared to Astros-Nationals in ’19, ratings fell 4% (from 5.9) but viewership rose 3% (from 10.21M).
The back-to-back three-year viewership highs are a change of pace for the Fall Classic. Viewership for the first three games declined 11, 14 and 8 percent respectively from 2019.
Even with the three-year high, Game 4 still ranks among the lowest rated and least-watched World Series games ever — placing sixth in ratings and tenth in viewership.
As has been the case all series, ratings in the key adult demographics have been a mixed bag. Compared to last year’s record-lows, Game 4 ratings were flat in adults 18-49 (2.3), up a tick in 25-54 (2.9) and down 12% in 18-34 (1.5). Game 4 had identical numbers in those demos as the Noon ET Michigan-Michigan State game on FOX earlier in the day.
Game 5 fared far better, scoring series-high demo ratings of 3.1 in 18-49 (+19%), 4.0 in 25-54 (+29%) and 2.1 in 18-34 (+16%). The 16% increase in 18-34 marks the first time this series that any game has improved over last year.
Both Games 4 and 5 outdrew the corresponding games of July’s NBA Finals (Game 4: 5.3, 10.25M; Game 5: 4.8, 9.62M). In the key young adult demos, Game 4 was no match for the corresponding NBA Finals game in 18-49 (3.5 to 2.3), 25-54 (3.6 to 2.9) and 18-34 (3.2 to 1.5). Game 5 outdrew its NBA equivalent in 18-49 (3.1 to 3.0) and 25-54 (4.0 to 3.4), but trailed in 18-34 (2.4 to 2.1).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.2]
