When the 2016 World Series between the Cubs and the Indians came to an end, we figured it could be a long time before baseball approached the kind of viewership those games had drawn. But here we are only a year later, and the Dodgers and Astros are drawing some shockingly excellent numbers.
Fox announced Wednesday that Tuesday’s Game 6 earned a 15.1 overnight rating, a figure that was 2 percent higher than Game 6 last year and 70 percent higher than Game 6 in 2014. It was the first time this series that a Dodgers-Astros matchup has topped its Cubs-Indians equivalent. And though we should note that last year’s Game 6 was 7-0 in the third inning, it’s still highly noteworthy that the 2017 World Series can (sort of) keep pace with a series that was supposed to be untouchable.
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) November 1, 2017
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That huge number for Dodgers-Astros Game 6 followed a Game 5 that will go down as one of the most thrilling baseball games ever, full of comebacks and home runs. It was the type of event that inspired hype on ESPN and chatter around the office water cooler and likely led some viewers to check out Game 6. Now, with a Game 7 scheduled for Wednesday night, Fox is positioned to close out the series with ratings far stronger than anyone could have expected. Per Fox, the World Series is averaging an 11.8 metered market rating, second-highest (behind 2016) since 2009.
The especially great news for Major League Baseball and Fox is that the strong ratings for this World Series are not a result of one particularly compelling storyline, as with last year’s Cubs, or a massively popular team. People are watching these games simply because they have been exciting and buzz-worthy. That is the type of enthusiasm that baseball can reasonably hope will carry over to next season and beyond.
This World Series has beaten Sunday Night Football. It stands well ahead of most recent World Series matchups. And for one night, it even topped last fall’s rating bonanza. Many people like to say that baseball is dying — or at least fading. But this is not typically what dying looks like.
UPDATE: Fox released full ratings data for Game 6 later Wednesday afternoon, and though it wound up a bit behind 2016, it did draw 22.2 million viewers, making it the second-most watched Game 6 since 2009. By comparison, the winner-take-all Game 7 in 2014 drew 23.5 million viewers.
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) November 1, 2017
