We have the final numbers on Game 1 of the World Series. Fox received an 8.7 rating with a 14 share for the opening game of the Fall Classic between Texas and St. Louis. That’s down 2% from last year’s Game 1 between Texas and San Francisco.
Overall, 14.2 million people watched Game 1. Fox beat out the other networks easily and also scored a win in the key 18-49 demographic which is craved by all advertisers.
St. Louis led all local markets with a stunning 47.3/66 for the night. Dallas had a 34.2/51 for the game.
And regionally, the Cardinals were strong in Kansas City, Nashville and Memphis. The Rangers did well in Austin, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
We have the press release from Fox and another one from MLB.
WORLD SERIES GAME 1 LIFTS FOX TO FIRST PLACE FINISH
The 107th Fall Classic got underway in fine fashion last night with a taught contest between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals broadcast on FOX. The Cardinals’ 3-2 win ranked as the highest-rated and most-watched telecast in primetime and delivered the network a prime time win in both households and the key adult 18-49 demographic, according to fast national ratings released by Nielsen Media Research.
FOX posted an 8.7/14 household rating/share with 14.2 million viewers for World Series, -2% from Game 1 a year ago (8.9/15, 15.0 million) primarily due to home market delivery. While Dallas is represented for a second consecutive year, San Francisco (2.523 million homes), last year’s other home market, is more than twice as large as St. Louis (1.258 million).
However, what FOX lost in home market strength as 6th ranked San Francisco was exchanged with 21st ranked St. Louis was somewhat made up for by the Cardinals’ regional strength. Several nearby markets posted above average numbers including Kansas City (13.6/21), Nashville (10.2/15) and Memphis (13.5/20). Strong regional interest in the Rangers drove ratings in Austin (16.7/28), San Antonio (13.5/19) and Oklahoma City (11.1/17).
Game 1 of the World Series on FOX powered the network to a first place finish, averaging an 8.6 household rating and 14.0 million viewers from 8:00-11:00 PM ET, beating CBS (7.2, 11.6 million), ABC (5.6, 8.9 million) and NBC (4.5, 6.9 million). Since 1996, FOX has televised 69 World Series games and won the night in households 59 times (86%). FOX also easily won the night in the key prime time Adult 18-49 demographic (4.2) and Adults 18-34 (3.6) beating all other networks by wide margins.
Last night’s broadcast opened with a 7.0/12 (11.3 million) from 8:00-8:30 PM ET, and grew steadily throughout the night: 8.8/14, 14.4 million from 9:00-9:30 PM ET; 9.6/15, 15.5 million from 10:00-10:30 PM; and peaked at 9.9/17 with 16.0 million viewers from 11:00-11:30 PM ET.
St. Louis led all markets with a sensational 47.3/66 to rank as the best home market rating for a World Series Game 1 since 2007 (Boston – 50.4/70). Dallas placed second among the local markets averaging a strong 34.2/51, +1% from Game 1 a year ago (33.9/51) when the Rangers faced the Giants.
And here’s MLB’s official press release.
WORLD SERIES BEGINS WITH 11TH ONE-RUN GAME OF 2011 POSTSEASON
Game Attracts 14.2 Million Viewers and Wins the Night for FOX
The Cardinals’ 3-2 win over the Rangers on FOX last night in Game One of the World Series, which attracted 14.2 million viewers, marked the 11th one-run game of the Postseason*, one shy of the all-time record of 12 set in 1995 and equaled in 1997 and 2003, and three more than last year’s total (8).
The World Series registered an 8.7 U.S. household rating, making it the highest-rated television program last night and driving FOX to be the highest rated network on television. It also marked the best Wednesday night on FOX since the American Idol Finale in May.
Last night’s rating is +9% versus Game One of the 2006 World Series (8.0), the last time the Cardinals were in the World Series. The 2011 Game One rating was virtually even (-2%) with the 2010 World Series Game One despite a dramatic difference in the market size of Texas’s opponent (’11 St. Louis (21 DMA) vs. ’10 San Francisco (6 DMA)).
Two-thirds of all televisions on in St. Louis last night (66 share) were tuned in to the World Series and the market attracted a 47.3 local rating, which is 15% higher than Game One of the 2006 World Series. In Dallas-Fort Worth, the game drew a 34.2 local rating with more than half of all televisions on tuned in (51 share).
That’s it.
