The World Series got off to a slow start in the ratings.
Game 1 of the Giants/Royals World Series drew a 7.3 rating and 12.2 million viewers on FOX Tuesday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — down 15% in ratings and viewership from Cardinals/Red Sox Game 1 last year (8.6, 14.4M) and down 4% and a fraction of a percent, respectively, from Tigers/Giants Game 1 in 2012 (7.6, 12.2M).
Fox Deportes chipped in 273,000 viewers for its coverage, up 77% from last year (154K), up 81% from 2012 (151K), and enough to bring the viewership total up to 12.5 million.
The Giants’ blowout drew the lowest rating ever for Game 1 of the World Series, falling below the previous mark set in 2012. With the Fox Deportes totals included, viewership was the second-lowest ever for a Game 1, ahead of only Tigers/Giants. Overall, Game 1 ranks as the lowest rated non-Saturday World Series game ever and the fifth-lowest rated regardless of day — with the Giants involved in three of the bottom five.
Among adults 18-49, Game 1 had a 3.4 rating — down 19% from last year (4.2), down 6% from 2012 (3.6), and the lowest Game 1 rating in the demo since at least 2001. Even so, the 3.4 was the highest of the night on broadcast or cable, edging The Voice on NBC (3.3). It also more-than-tripled new episodes of New Girl (1.2) and The Mindy Project (1.1) on FOX the previous week.
The game drew a 48.2 rating in Kansas City, the highest for Game 1 of the World Series in any market since Boston in 2007 (49.3). In San Francisco, however, it had a 29.3 — down 9% from 2012 (32.3) and down 18% from Rangers/Giants Game 1 in 2010 (35.9). Sacramento (23.0), St. Louis (13.3) and Las Vegas (11.1) rounded out the top five.
(Tue. numbers from Fox Sports, with additional info from TV By the Numbers)
