After five solid games, World Series ratings hit the big time in Game 6.
Tuesday’s Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 6 delivered a 12.6 rating and 22.2 million viewers on FOX, down 5% in ratings and viewership from Cubs-Indians last year (13.2, 23.4M) and up 56% and 66% respectively from Giants-Royals in 2014 (8.1, 13.4M). There was no Game 6 in 2015.
The Dodgers’ series-tying win, which peaked with 26.2 million viewers from 10:45-11 PM ET, trails only last year as the most-watched World Series Game 6 since Phillies-Yankees in 2009 (22.3M).
The 12.6 rating is the third-highest for a Game 6 since ’09 (13.4), behind last year and Rangers-Cardinals in 2011 (12.7).
Overall, Tuesday’s game delivered the eighth-largest Major League Baseball audience since 2004, and the fourth-largest with clinching games excluded.
For the year, it ranks fourth among all non-NFL sporting events behind three championship clinchers — Clemson-Alabama in the college football national championship (14.2, 25.3M), Game 5 of the Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals (13.5, 24.5M) and UNC-Gonzaga in college basketball’s national title game (13.2, 23.0M).
Only five NFL games have had a higher rating so far during the 2017 regular season, and four have had a larger audience.
Game 6 had a 6.0 rating in adults 18-49, down 9% from last year (6.6) but up 71% from 2014 (3.5). The 6.0 is the second-best for a Game 6 since Rangers-Cardinals in ’11 (6.5). Ratings were not immediately available in the other key adult demographics.
An additional 535,000 viewers watched the game on Fox Deportes — up 26% from last year’s Game 6 (425K) — and 244,000 streamed coverage on Fox Sports GO (+42%). Game 6 had 23.0 million viewers across all Fox Sports platforms, down 4% from last year.
Most-Watched World Series Games Since 2004
| # | Year | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016 | Cubs-Indians World Series Game 7 |
21.8 | 40.05M |
| 2 | 2011 | Rangers-Cardinals World Series Game 7 |
14.7 | 25.40M |
| 3 | 2016 | Indians-Cubs World Series Game 5 |
13.1 | 23.64M |
| 4 | 2014 | Giants-Royals World Series Game 7 |
13.7 | 23.52M |
| 5 | 2016 | Cubs-Indians World Series Game 6 |
13.2 | 23.40M |
| 6 | 2009 | Yankees-Phillies World Series Game 4 |
13.5 | 22.76M |
| 7 | 2009 | Phillies-Yankees World Series Game 6 |
13.4 | 22.34M |
| 8 | 2017 | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 6 |
12.6 | 22.23M |
| 9 | 2011 | Rangers-Cardinals World Series Game 6 |
12.7 | 21.06M |
| 10 | 2007 | Red Sox-Rockies World Series Game 4 |
12.6 | 20.95M |
[Numbers from Fox Sports, Son of the Bronx]
