Airing on a Friday night, ratings predictably dipped for Game 3 of the World Series.
Game 3 of the Royals/Giants World Series drew a 7.2 rating and 12.1 million viewers on FOX Friday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — down 3% in ratings and viewership from Red Sox/Cardinals Game 3 last year (7.4, 12.5M) but up 18% and 15%, respectively, from Giants/Tigers Game 3 in 2012 (6.1, 10.5M). Keep in mind Game 3 of the World Series aired on a Saturday night from 2007-13.
Fox Deportes earned 228,000 viewers for its coverage, up 41% from last year (161K) and enough to bring the Game 3 total to 12.4 million.
The Royals’ win earned the third-highest rating and viewership for Game 3 of the World Series since 2006, trailing only Red Sox/Cardinals last year and Yankees/Phillies in 2009 (9.1, 15.4M). On the other hand, the 7.2 rating is the lowest ever for a non-Saturday World Series game — breaking the previous record held by Tuesday’s Game 1 (7.3) — and the fifth-lowest for a World Series game on any night of the week. The Giants have played in seven of the ten lowest rated World Series games, including four of the bottom six.
Given the Friday night timeslot, lower numbers could have been expected. Game 3 barely trailed Tuesday’s Game 1 (7.3, 12.2M) and finished within single-digit percentage points of Wednesday’s Game 2 (7.9, 12.9M). Friday and Saturday are the two lowest rated nights of the week, and though the networks still program new shows on Friday — as opposed to Saturday — it is still generally considered a ‘death slot.’
Kansas City was again the top market with a 49.0 rating for Game 3, down 1% from Game 2 (49.7) but up 2% from Game 1 (48.2). The game drew a series-low 26.4 in the Bay Area.
Through three games, the Royals/Giants World Series has averaged a 7.5 rating and 12.4 million viewers on FOX — down 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (8.1, 13.4M) but up 4% and 6%, respectively, from 2012 (7.2, 11.7M). The games have also averaged 260,000 viewers on Fox Deportes.
(Fri. numbers from Fox Sports)
