Ratings Roundup: World Series Trails Only Last Year as Most-Watched Since 2009; Full Game-by-Game Breakdown By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Friday, November 3, 2017 - 7:59 am
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Ratings roundup is a rundown of ratings news from the past week and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, the 2017 World Series proved to be the most watched since 2009 with the exception of the Cubs' historic Series win last year and we break down the ratings/viewership of this year's seven-game series game by game. In addition, we recap Week 8 of the NFL season and Week 9 of the college football season, ESPN's MLS Playoffs ratings are up 80%, Univision scores with last Saturday's America/Monterrey Liga MX match, NBC's NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are up 9% over 2016, ESPN's First Take is up 53% over last year, and NBA TV is off to its hottest start ever.
World Series Trails Only Last Year as Most-Watched Since 2009
The 2017 World Series on FOX averaged 18,909,000 viewers across all seven games (10.7 HH rating), the second-best audience for a World Series since 2009. While it was down 19% below last year's historic Chicago Cubs' seven-game victory over the Cleveland Indians, which went into extra innings in Game 7 (23,388,000 viewers), it topped 2015 by 29% (14,700,000) and 2014 by 37% (13,825,000). In terms of ratings, the seven-game series averaged a 10.7 rating, down 18% from last year (13.1, 23.4 million) but up 23% from the five-game Mets-Royals series in 2015 (8.7, 14.7 million). According to SportsMediaWatch, outside last year and the Yankees' six-game win over the Phillies in 2009 (11.7, 19.4M), this year's World Series was the highest rated since 2005 (White Sox Astros with 11.1 million) and the most-watched since 2004 (Red Sox Cardinals with 25.4 million).
Also notable, this year's World Series notched the second-best rating for teen viewers since 2009 (2.4), outperforming every entertainment primetime program on television.
Overall, FOX Deportes' World Series coverage was the most-watched ever for Spanish language cable television, averaging 476,000 viewers, up 34% from 2016 (355,000) and more than double ( 104%) the 2015 World Series (233,000). (Fox Sports and SMW).
World Series: Inside Game 7 Numbers
Wednesday's World Series Game 7 victory by the Houston Astros over the Los Angeles Dodgers averaged more than 29.3 million viewers across FOX (28,229,000), FOX Deportes (778,000) and streaming live on FOX Sports GO (293,918). The game peaked at 31,989,000 viewers from 10:30 to 10:45 PM ET. The game's 15.8 rating was down 28% from Cubs-Indians last year (the most-watched baseball game since 1991 with a 21.8 rating and 40.1 million viewers), but was up 15% from Giants-Royals in 2014 (13.7, 23.5 million) and, with the exception of Game 7 last year, ranks as the highest rated and most watched baseball game since 2004 (BOS-STL Game 4: 18.2, 28.8M).
FOX Deportes' Game 7 viewership was up 37% year-to-year, peaking at 907,000 viewers from 11:15 PM ET to 11:30 PM ET. Last night's finale ranks as the most-watched non-soccer sporting event in Spanish language sports cable television history.
FOX Sports GO scored an average-minute streaming audience of 293,918 for Game 7, the second-best MLB event ever on FSGO, and the fourth-best authenticated event in FSGO history. (Fox Sports and SMW)
World Series: Inside Game 6 Numbers
Game 6 scored more that 23 million viewers across Fox (22.23 million), Fox Deportes (535,000), and Fox Sports Go (244,490). It was the second most-watched Game 6 since 2009 (22.3 million for Phillies-Yankees), trailing only last year's Series. Viewership on Fox peaked at 26.16 million (10:45 11:00 p.m. ET). The game's 12.6 rating and 22.2 million viewers 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).
Game 6 on Fox Deportes is now the third most-watched MLB postseason baseball game in Spanish-language TV history (it was second prior to Game 7). Fox Sports Go's average minute audience was 43% higher than last season's Game 6 and is the fifth-most -watched authenticated event of any sport in Fox Sports Go history (it was fourth prior to Game 7). (Fox Sports and SMW)
World Series: Inside Game 5 Numbers
Game 5 - a thrilling 10-inning 13-12 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 - delivered more than 19.6 million viewers on average across FOX (18,940,000), FOX Deportes (496,000) and FOX Sports GO (172,000). Game 5 is the second-best World Series Game 5 since 2003, behind last year's Indians-Cubs matchup (23,641,000), and was up 10% over Game 5 in 2015 (17,206,000), and up over Game 5 50% over 2014 (12,630,000). In terms of ratings, the game's 10.5 was down 20% in ratings and viewership from Cubs-Indians last year (13.1, 23.6M) but up 5% and 10% respectively from the Royals-Mets clincher in 2015 (10.0, 17.2M).
On FOX Deportes, Game 5 ranks as the second most-watched MLB postseason game in Spanish language television history and is up 45% over 2016 World Series Game 5 (342,000) and up 68% over 2015 (296,000). On FOX Sports GO, FOX Sports' streaming app, Game 5 was the seventh-best performing event of any sport in FOX Sports GO history, and was up 8% over last year's average minute audience for Game 5 (158,629). (Fox Sports and SMW)
World Series: Inside Game 4 Numbers
Saturday night's Game 4 recorded 15,400,000 viewers on FOX, making it the second most-watched Saturday night World Series game since 2004 and another primetime victory for the network. The game's 8.7 rating (according to Nielsen fast-nationals) was down 6% from last year (9.3, 16.7M), but up 12% from 2015 and was t
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Ratings Roundup: World Series Trails Only Last Year as Most-Watched Since 2009; Full Game-by-Game Breakdown By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
