World Series TV Ratings Average Drops 32% Below Previous Low

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ six-game win over the Tampa Bay Rays received an average television rating 32% below the previous World Series low.

The six games on Fox averaged a 5.2 rating, 12 share and 9,785,000 viewers, Nielsen Media Research said Wednesday. The previous low was a 7.6 rating, 12 share and 12,660,000 viewers for the San Francisco Giants’ four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers in 2012.

Dodgers-Rays game one had the lowest TV ratings ever for a World Series game https://t.co/MDUMhUIuUT

— CNBC (@CNBC) October 21, 2020

This year’s rating was down 36% from the 8.1 rating, 16 share and average of 14,067,000 viewers for the Washington Nationals’ seven-game win over the Houston Astros last year.

Los Angeles’ 3-1 win in Game 6 on Tuesday night drew a 6.8 rating, 15 share and an average of 12,627,000 viewers, down from a 9.6 rating, 19 share and average of 16,551,000 viewers for Washington’s 7-2 win in Game 6 last year.

Last year’s Series average was boosted by Game 7, when the Nationals’ 6-2 win drew a 13.1 rating, 25 share and an average of 23,217,000 viewers.

Fox said when Spanish-language coverage on Fox Deportes and streaming platforms were included, Game 6 averaged 13,215,000 viewers.

Insightful thread here about World Series ratings. https://t.co/kMlQ0atCna

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) October 29, 2020

The audience for the Dodgers’ first title clincher since 1988 peaked at 14,351,000, Fox’s largest Tuesday night audience since Game 6 last year.

Game 6 drew a 27.5 rating and 48 share in Los Angeles, the highest for the Dodgers in the market since the Game 7 loss to Houston in 2017 drew a 36.7 rating and 56 share. The final game drew an 18.2 rating and 33 share in Tampa, the highest for the Rays there since the fifth and final game of the 2008 World Series against Philadelphia drew a 29.8 rating and 42 share.

This year’s Series averaged a 21.2 rating and 40 share in Los Angeles, and a 15.2 rating and 29 share in Tampa.

“It’s weird. It’s sad. But it’s still very exciting.”

Limited fans. Neutral ballpark. Even in this new reality, baseball has found a way to thrive.

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 23, 2020

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned in to a broadcast. The share is the percentage viewing a telecast among those households with TVs on at the time.

Ratings have been lower for sports this fall, a drop possibly attributable to lower viewership during the coronavirus pandemic and competition from programming related to the presidential election.