Bedeviled by rain delays (and the Tampa Bay Rays), the 2008 World Series had the lowest average viewership ever (13.6 million). Barring a 4 game sweep plus something else extraordinary, the 2009 World Series featuring the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies should easily beat those ratings. The last time the Yankees were in the World Series (2003) the average viewership topped 20 million. I think a seven game series this year could test the 20 million level. Anything shorter than seven games and I think that 17 million average looks like a reasonable target.
In this century, for World Series average viewership to break 20 million, it requires the Yankees or the Red Sox. Although in 2000, even the Yankees couldn’t pull an all NY matchup above 20 million.
Full World Series Ratings Data, 1968-2008:
| Year | Net | #Telecasts | Rating | Share | Homes | Viewers | Teams |
| 2008 | FOX | 5 | 8.4 | 14 | 13,635,000 | Tampa Bay Rays/Philadelphia Phillies | |
| 2007 | FOX | 4 | 10.6 | 18 | 11,994,000 | 17,123,000 | Boston Red Sox / Colorado Rockies |
| 2006 | FOX | 5 | 10.1 | 17 | 11,282,000 | 15,812,000 | St. Louis Cardinals /Detroit Tigers |
| 2005 | FOX | 4 | 11.1 | 19 | 12,272,000 | 17,162,000 | Chicago White Sox/Houston Astros |
| 2004 | FOX | 4 | 15.8 | 26 | 17,270,000 | 25,390,000 | Boston Red Sox/St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2003 | FOX | 6 | 12.8 | 22 | 13,834,000 | 20,142,000 | Florida Marlins / NY Yankees |
| 2002 | FOX | 7 | 11.9 | 20 | 12,645,000 | 19,261,000 | Anahiem Angels/San Francisco Giants |
| 2001 | FOX | 7 | 15.7 | 26 | 16,519,000 | 24,528,000 | Arizona Diamnondbacks / NY Yankees |
| 2000 | FOX | 5 | 12.4 | 21 | 12,657,000 | 18,081,000 | NY Yankees / NY Mets |
| 1999 | NBC | 4 | 16.0 | 26 | 16,105,000 | 23,731,000 | NY Yankees / Atlanta Braves |
| 1998 | FOX | 4 | 14.1 | 24 | 14,050,000 | 20,340,000 | NY Yankees / San Diego Padres |
| 1997 | NBC | 7 | 16.7 | 29 | 16,410,000 | 24,790,000 | Florida Marlins / Cleveland Indians |
| 1996 | FOX | 6 | 17.4 | 29 | 16,890,000 | 25,220,000 | NY Yankees / Atlanta Braves |
| 1995 | ABC | 6 | 19.5 | 33 | 18,710,000 | 28,970,000 | Atlanta Braves / Cleveland Indians |
| 1994 | Baseball Strike | ||||||
| 1993 | CBS | 6 | 17.3 | 30 | 16,330,000 | 24,700,000 | Toronto Blue Jays / Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1992 | CBS | 6 | 20.2 | 34 | 18,820,000 | 30,010,000 | Toronto Blue Jays / Atlanta Braves |
| 1991 | CBS | 7 | 24.0 | 39 | 22,060,000 | 35,680,000 | Minnesota Twins / Atlanta Braves |
| 1990 | CBS | 4 | 20.8 | 36 | 19,320,000 | 30,240,000 | Cincinnati Reds / Oakland Athletics |
| 1989 | ABC | 4 | 16.4 | 29 | 15,090,000 | 24,550,000 | Oakland Athletics / San Francisco Giants |
| 1988 | NBC | 5 | 23.9 | 39 | 21,610,000 | 34,490,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / Oakland Athletics |
| 1987 | ABC | 7 | 24.0 | 41 | 21,230,000 | 35,340,000 | Minnesota Twins / St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1986 | NBC | 7 | 28.6 | 46 | 23,640,000 | 36,370,000 | New York Mets / Boston Red Sox |
| 1985 | ABC | 7 | 25.3 | 39 | 21,740,000 | 34,510,000 | Kansas City Royals / St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1984 | NBC | 5 | 22.9 | 40 | 19,270,000 | 28,010,000 | Detroit Tigers / San Diego Padres |
| 1983 | ABC | 5 | 23.3 | 41 | 19,570,000 | 29,540,000 | Baltimore Orioles / Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1982 | NBC | 7 | 27.9 | 49 | 23,370,000 | 38,070,000 | St. Louis Cardinals / Milwaukee Brewers |
| 1981 | ABC | 6 | 30.0 | 49 | 24,480,000 | 41,370,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / NY Yankees |
| 1980 | NBC | 6 | 32.8 | 56 | 25,380,000 | 42,300,000 | Philadelphia Phillies / Kansas City Royals |
| 1979 | ABC | 7 | 28.5 | 50 | 21,730,000 | 37,960,000 | Pittsburgh Pirates / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1978 | NBC | 6 | 32.8 | 56 | 24,450,000 | 44,278,950 | NY Yankees / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1977 | ABC | 6 | 29.8 | 53 | 21,720,000 | 37,150,000 | NY Yankees / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1976 | NBC | 4 | 27.5 | 48 | 19,580,000 | 34,720,000 | Cincinnati Reds / NY Yankees |
| 1975 | NBC | 7 | 28.7 | 52 | 19,980,000 | 35,960,000 | Cincinnati Reds / Boston Red Sox |
| 1974 | NBC | 5 | 25.6 | 46 | 17,540,000 | 29,080,000 | Oakland Athletics / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1973 | NBC | 7 | 30.7 | 57 | 20,320,000 | 34,750,000 | Oakland Athletics / NY Mets |
| 1972 | NBC | 7 | 27.5 | 58 | NA | NA | Oakland Athletics / Cincinnati Reds |
| 1971 | NBC | 7 | 24.2 | 59 | NA | NA | Pittsburgh Pirates / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1970 | NBC | 5 | 19.4 | 53 | NA | NA | Baltimore Orioles / Cincinnati Reds |
| 1969 | NBC | 5 | 22.4 | 58 | NA | NA | NY Mets / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1968 | NBC | 7 | 22.8 | 57 | NA | NA | Detroit Tigers / St. Louis Cardinals |
*While there were six telecasts for the 2008 series, there were only five games. The sixth telecast was the completion of game five which was suspended due to rain.
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
I wonder if new york’s total tv viewing numbers plummet when the Yankees lose to the Phightin’ Phills in 6. You know, because they’ll spend November sweeps crying instead of watching prime time.
I would argue that the Cubs being involved in the World Series would probably be the biggest blockbuster of them all from a ratings perspective (and I say this as a die-hard White Sox fan). Of course, this would entail the Cubs actually making it to the World Series, where the chances are so remote that it would likely coincide with some apocalyptic disaster.
Frank, not only would a Cubs story line pull in all the casual viewers, it would perhaps even pull in some viewers who otherwise would be completely uninterested. But yeah, there are the apocalyptic trade-offs to consider…
Two large TV markets (NY and Philly) vs. two evenly matched teams – high ratings.
Back to 20 million+
Ratings should be good even as the Phillies sweep. People like me will watch if only to witness A-Rod choke again.
Dave, not so sure.
Look at the graph again. The lower rated series are usually ones with two teams from the same region or even city. San Francisco/Oakland in 1989, Mets vs. Yankees in 2000, Angels/Giants in 2002.
Could just be California sucks there, though. But the Yankees, Red Sox, and The Atlanta Braves, of all things, seem to give the audience a boost.
As for the Phillies, the town’s wild about them and we’ll watch. And if the rest of America doesn’t want to because Philly’s there, screw ‘em.
Angels/Giants really wasn’t low (though as a Giants fan, it was a low for me!) but it was helped massively by going 7 games.
I think MLB would be lucky to get 16 million for this World Series.
As a baseball fan, it is an intriguing matchup. The problem is that MLB (and Fox) does a terrible job in promoting the sport. Also, it doesnt help when the series is played in to November, where I’m sure there will be weather issues. I am expecting this series to average between 15-16 million. And, it may hit 18 million for a 7 game series.
MLB must do a better job marketing the sport to get the ratings back up.
Should be pretty high 18-19M. I just wonder if it is going to snow – as this is the latest by far the series has ever started.
Pat, indeed on the weather. Will A-Rod become Mr. November?
Sundays game rating will be huge as it has Favre vs Packers (going to over 90% of the country) as a leadin.
Sunday’s game will also be aided by the lack of Sunday Night Football on NBC. Next week is NBC’s bye (which is replaced by the season-opening Thursday game).
I guarantee that the Favre v Packers football game will have a higher rating than any of the World Series games (excluding maybe a game 7).
If the Series is competitive….next Sunday is going to be a landmark day for Fox.
1pm — Eagles vs. Giants, two huge markets.
415 — Favre returns to Green Bay, holy #$&@&
8pm — Philly/Yankees World Series with a gigantic lead-in.
Sean, I agree the potential is there for a repeat of yesterday’s “perfect storm” where a highly watched game bumps into baseball. The Packers game will certainly *start* highly watched, and if it’s close, look out.
Sunday will be potentially much better because there is no Sunday Night Football game scheduled.
Perfect storm? Please. Last night was a wimpy category 3!
Perfect storms don’t have the New York market flipping back and forth between the Giants and the Yankees.
If Vikings/Packers is close that will be huge, especially since there is no SNF competition.
Perfect Storm analogies now retired.
….unless it rains.
I don’t think it should be retired, merely reserved for “Aaron Rodgers leads Packers to a dramatic victory over nemesis Favre in overtime, leading directly into the epic World Series game 1 contest between the Phillies and the Yankees which the Yankees won in 11 innings on walk off home run by Derek Jeter”
Separately it is surprising to me that the scheduling fates are such that well in advance NBC (or perhaps due to the NFL?) winds up pleading “no contest” during the first Sunday night of November Sweeps.
NBC/NFL never schedules a SNF game vs the world series now.
That game has now basically become the thursday nite NBC opener game.
Robert, while your Derek Jeter walk-off would be dramatic, Game 4, at CBP, is on Sunday, meaning any walkoff would be the Phils. So, let’s just change that to “epic World Series game 4 contest…which the Phillies win… on a walk off home run by Ryan Howard”
As a Phils fan, that sounds alot better to me anyway.
d’oh! Though I know the World Series starts on Wednesday, for some reason my addled brain was thinking it starts on Sunday. I would be very OK with Ryan H. hitting a walkoff and knotting the series up at 2 games each. I suspect FOX would be fine with that too!
Yanks in 6
I don’t know, but I’m not interested in a Philly vs. Yankee series. Now Dodgers vs. Yankees would have been a classic rivalry.
Since the Yankees and Phillies both SUCK I am sure the ratings on the west coast will be dismal. I know I won’t be watching.
Sprinkbot, why do I get the feeling your a Mets fan in disguise?
Have fun cleaning up the vomit you spewed all over your plastic covered couch when you learned this was the matchup for 2009.
Baseball at NIGHT in NOVEMBER in New York and Philadelphia is just wrong. (I’m referring to likely weather conditions, not to the teams themselves.) When the baseball in question is the World Series, the most important games of the season, well, that’s a crime. Boys of summer? Play some doubleheaders along the way — the fans will love it, and it will shorten the season.
Chuck, Yanks and Dodgers definitely would’ve been legendary. But the Phillies going for their second championship is an interesting angle, and these Yankees are the best since ‘98, so it should be fun.
The rating will obviously be a increase from last year. The real ? will baseball be able to keep fan interest during this period of time.
The pivotal game three falls on Halloween and football is heating up. The best thing for baseball is to see this series hit 6/7 games and could heat it the undertones of this series.
However, LA/NY matchup would have been a much-needed boost for baseball ratings-wise.
I predict 28 million for Green Bay vs Minn
and about 22 million for NYY vs Phillies
I think the problem is, there are way too many options on TV and Cable….and that the games start too late…. Sat/Sun games (game 3 and 4) should start no later then 6 PM est time…and weeknight games should start no later then 7:30 pm Est….It is hard to push the post season when it is on so many different channels these days. Fox should get exclusive rights to the post-season, so that they can really build up the world series with proper advertising rather then having to share the LCS with TBS and TBS getting all of the LDS…..
I definitely think this series can hit the 20 million mark.
Brando – That’s exactly what I’m predicting. The Phillies won’t make it to game 7.
Matt – They’re at least as good as the 98 team. When you consider the slow start (with a lot of injuries – especially A-Rod) and what they’ve done the second 1/2 of the season, I think they may be better. They’re definitely a better hitting team.
I don’t think it’s crazy to say that if the Cubs ever make the WS that the ratings they are getting now would more than double. Now imagine a Cubs/Yankees or Red Sox World Series. If both teams had not collapsed in their league championship the 2003 World Series with Bos/Chc would have been the biggest sporting event of our time. That series would still be a big one now but since the Sox broke their curse and won it(2004 and again in 2007) it wouldn’t have quite the same level of excitement. That would have been pandemonium in Chicago and Boston.
NY Yankees are in the WS = more TV ratings.
My hometown team the Astros 4 years ago when they lost to the White Sox garnered about 17 million. Interesting….didn’t think anyone would watch them.
However the WS is practically meaningless for anyone outside the metro areas of those who are playing. So basically 90% of viewers will be either in the Philadelphia or New York markets.
R.G. -
that is not true.
If game 1 gets 20 million in order for 90 percent of the viewers to be in just those markets…it would have to be astronomical.
If 20 mil watch game 1.
then it is likely 12-13 million will be outside of those markets.
cardinals :’(