The longest postseason game ever did not reverse the downward trend in World Series ratings.
Friday’s Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Game 3 earned a 9.5 overnight rating on FOX, down 9% from Dodgers-Astros last year (10.4) and down 23% from Indians-Cubs in 2016 (12.4). The 9.5 is the lowest for Game 3 of the World Series since 2015 (Royals-Mets: 9.1).
The Dodgers’ walk-off win was the longest game in World Series history in terms of innings (18), and the longest game in postseason history in terms of length (seven hours and 20 minutes). FOX stopped running national ads at some point during the final innings, so figures would not include the conclusion.
Nielsen measures television programs from the first national ad to the last. It is standard practice on NBC’s Olympics coverage to place the first national ad after, and the last national ad before, lower rated segments of the network’s primetime windows. As a result, an 8 PM-12 AM telecast might be measured from 8:30-11 PM. On previous marathon baseball games, particularly All-Star games, FOX has also used that method to lop off the later innings.
While sports TV ratings tend to increase as the night goes on, there is a tipping point — perhaps 12:30 AM ET — when the returns begin to diminish. Friday’s game ended around 3:30 AM ET.
As noted by Programming Insider, the first two hours of the game averaged an 8.1 in the metered markets, down 14% from last year (9.4). The remaining hours of the game (that were measured by Nielsen) narrowed the gap from last year.
Game 3 delivered a 30.3 rating in Boston, the lowest for a Red Sox World Series game in that market this century (17 games). The 30.3 declined 6% from Red Sox-Cardinals Game 3 in 2013, which aired on a Saturday night (32.4).
In Los Angeles, Game 3 had a 25.0 rating — a series-high, and up 3% from last year (24.2).
[Numbers from Fox Sports PR/Twitter 10.27, Programming Insider 10.27]
