Ratings for every World Series game since 1972.
The 2008 Phillies/Rays World Series averaged a 8.4/14 rating and 13.8 million viewers on FOX, by far the lowest rated, least-viewed World Series on record. The past four World Series rank as the four lowest rated of all-time.
The Yankees are making their first World Series appearance since ’03. The ’03 Marlins/Yankees World Series averaged a 12.8/22 rating and 20.1 million viewers on FOX. Game 6 of that series, the last World Series game to involve the Yankees, drew a 13.9/25 and 23.2 million.
From 2000 to 2008, 52 World Series games averaged 13.3 million households (the equivalent of an 11.5 rating today) and 19.3 million viewers. By comparison, during the previous 8-year period (1990-1999, excluding ’94), 50 World Series games averaged 17.7 million households (the equivalent of a 15.4 rating) and 27.3 million viewers.
The Yankees’ three trips to the World Series this decade (18 games; 2000, ’01 and ’03) have averaged 14.5 million households and 21.2 million viewers, topping the average for non-Yankee World Series by 17% and 18%, respectively (30 games; 12.4 million HHs, 18.0 million viewers).
Since ’04, 18 World Series games have averaged 11.2 million households (the equivalent of a 9.8 rating) and 15.8 million viewers.
Ratings for every game of the World Series since 1972
| Year | Overall | Gm. 1 | Gm. 2 | Gm. 3 | Gm. 4 | Gm. 5 | Gm. 6 | Gm. 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 (FOX) |
8.4/14
|
9.2/15
|
8.1/13
|
6.1/13
|
9.3/15
|
9.6/14
|
no game
|
|
| 2007 (FOX) |
10.6/18
|
10.5/18
|
11.1/18
|
8.5/16
|
12.6/21
|
no game
|
||
| 2006 (FOX) |
10.1/17
|
8.0/15
|
11.6/18
|
10.2/17
|
10.4/18
|
10.3/18
|
no game
|
|
| 2005 (FOX) |
11.1/19
|
9.5/17
|
11.1/17
|
11.0/21
|
13.0/21
|
no game
|
||
| 2004 (FOX) |
15.8/26
|
13.7/25
|
15.9/24
|
15.7/24
|
18.2/28
|
no game
|
||
| 2003 (FOX) |
12.8/22
|
10.9/20
|
12.6/20
|
12.5/21
|
13.6/23
|
13.2/21
|
13.9/25
|
no game
|
| 2002 (FOX) |
11.9/20
|
9.4/18
|
11.9/20
|
10.8/18
|
11.8/19
|
10.0/17
|
11.8/21
|
17.9/28
|
| 2001 (FOX) |
15.7/26
|
10.4/19
|
15.0/23
|
15.4/24
|
15.8/27
|
14.4/24
|
13.8/24
|
23.5/34
|
| 2000 (FOX) |
12.4/21
|
11.5/22
|
12.6/20
|
12.4/21
|
12.5/21
|
13.1/21
|
no game
|
|
| 1999 (NBC) |
16.0/26
|
14.2/26
|
15.0/23
|
16.8/27
|
17.8/29
|
no game
|
||
| 1998 (FOX) |
14.1/24
|
12.4/23
|
12.6/20
|
15.4/25
|
16.6/27
|
no game
|
||
| 1997 (NBC) |
16.7/29
|
11.3/22
|
15.0/24
|
15.6/27
|
15.5/26
|
17.2/30
|
15.5/28
|
24.5/39
|
| 1996 (FOX) |
17.4/29
|
15.7/25
|
14.0/23
|
17.5/28
|
17.9/32
|
20.0/32
|
19.1/34
|
no game
|
| 1995 (ABC) |
19.5/33
|
16.4/30
|
no game
|
20.0/33
|
21.6/34
|
no game
|
no game
|
|
| 1995 (NBC) |
no game
|
19.4/31
|
20.0/34
|
no game
|
19.5/35
|
|||
| 1994 |
no games
|
|||||||
| 1993 (CBS) |
17.3/30
|
15.5/29
|
17.9/29
|
15.2/28
|
18.0/31
|
18.4/30
|
19.1/35
|
no game
|
| 1992 (CBS) |
20.2/34
|
15.6/28
|
20.2/32
|
20.8/33
|
18.9/30
|
21.6/36
|
22.7/41
|
no game
|
| 1991 (CBS) |
24.0/39
|
17.6/32
|
21.7/34
|
23.5/39
|
22.9/36
|
22.9/37
|
25.4/44
|
32.2/49
|
| 1990 (CBS) |
20.8/36
|
20.2/32
|
21.8/37
|
19.4/35
|
21.4/38
|
no game
|
||
| 1989 (ABC) |
16.4/29
|
16.2/30
|
17.4/28
|
17.5/32
|
14.7/28
|
no game
|
||
| 1988 (NBC) |
23.9/39
|
20.5/38
|
23.1/36
|
24.8/40
|
24.2/39
|
27.0/43
|
no game
|
|
| 1987 (ABC) |
24.0/41
|
19.2/35
|
21.9/34
|
24.9/40
|
23.8/38
|
23.4/38
|
20.9/47
|
32.6/50
|
| 1986 (NBC) |
28.6/46
|
24.2/42
|
25.5/41
|
25.6/40
|
26.0/41
|
29.8/47
|
30.3/52
|
38.9/55
|
| 1985 (ABC) |
25.3/39
|
22.1/37
|
23.2/35
|
25.4/38
|
24.8/38
|
24.9/38
|
24.2/41
|
32.6/47
|
| 1984 (NBC) |
22.9/40
|
27.7/44
|
26.0/40
|
21.5/35
|
15.0/41
|
22.7/42
|
no game
|
|
| 1983 (ABC) |
23.3/41
|
27.7/41
|
26.8/40
|
23.9/40
|
17.6/47
|
21.0/39
|
no game
|
|
| 1982 (NBC) |
27.9/49
|
27.9/42
|
29.1/45
|
25.0/41
|
21.0/56
|
30.4/57
|
24.0/44
|
38.2/56
|
| 1981 (ABC) |
30.0/49
|
29.9/46
|
28.8/44
|
29.0/47
|
28.4/57
|
26.4/45
|
37.2/54
|
no game
|
| 1980 (NBC) |
32.8/56
|
33.5/52
|
34.4/53
|
32.0/53
|
23.9/60
|
32.0/60
|
40.0/60
|
no game
|
| 1979 (ABC) |
28.5/50
|
28.2/46
|
29.6/48
|
22.5/39
|
23.5/63
|
26.2/53
|
32.5/48
|
36.9/56
|
| 1978 (NBC) |
32.8/56
|
33.1/51
|
32.2/50
|
33.0/54
|
30.1/65
|
32.6/60
|
35.9/54
|
no game
|
| 1977 (ABC) |
29.8/53
|
30.3/50
|
30.5/49
|
30.2/51
|
27.2/64
|
26.6/52
|
33.9/50
|
no game
|
| 1976 (NBC) |
27.5/48
|
20.3/58
|
29.4/43
|
29.8/44
|
30.5/48
|
no game
|
||
| 1975 (NBC) |
28.7/52
|
20.0/58
|
20.1/53
|
28.9/47
|
28.0/46
|
30.9/48
|
33.3/55
|
39.6/60
|
| 1974 (NBC) |
25.6/46
|
23.4/55
|
25.7/52
|
26.5/41
|
25.4/39
|
27.2/42
|
no game
|
|
| 1973 (NBC) |
30.7/57
|
26.4/60
|
28.8/55
|
33.6/52
|
32.2/50
|
32.6/50
|
27.7/67
|
33.7/67
|
| 1972 (NBC) |
27.6/58
|
21.2/60
|
23.3/57
|
33.6/49
|
33.5/50
|
22.3/56
|
26.5/63
|
32.8/71
|
Source: Nielsen Wire
