MLB would love to see the Yankees in the Fall Classic every year if it can result in ratings like this:
TV VIEWERSHIP FOR 2009 WORLD SERIES UP
+46% THROUGH THREE GAMES
Last night’s 8-5 win by the Yankees over the Phillies in Game Three of the 2009 World Series was seen by 15.4 million viewers, a +57% increase over Game Three last year, and the most-watched World Series game on a Saturday since Game One in 2004.
The +57% year-to-year increase in viewership also marks the largest ever jump for a comparable game of a World Series in primetime.
Similarly, through three games, the 2009 World Series has averaged 17.9 million viewers, a +46% increase over last year’s first three games and the highest average since the first three games in 2004.
Up 46% from last year is really good.
UPDATE, 5 p.m.: Here is Fox Sports’ press release on the World Series ratings.
RAIN CAN’T DAMPEN ENTHUSIASM FOR WORLD SERIES
Game 3 Up +49% in Ratings and +57% in Audience Over 2008
2009 World Series Up +42% and +46% in Rating, Audience, Respectively
WORLD SERIES GAME 3 HIGHLIGHTS:
Game 3 of the 2009 WORLD SERIES averaged a 9.1/18 household rating/share with an average audience of 15.4 million viewers last night on FOX according to fast national ratings issued by Nielsen Media Research. These figures make Game 3 the highest-rated, and most-watched prime-time Saturday broadcast on any network since FOX’s NFL Playoff Game on 1/10/09 (13.8/23, 23.8 mill). It also ranks as the highest-rated and most-watched Game 3 since 2006 (10.2/17, 15.6 mill), the highest-rated Saturday World Series Game since 2005 (9.5/17), and the most-watched since 2004 (23.2 mill).
Rain had an impact on World Series Game 3 in Philadelphia for the second straight year. Last night’s 9.1/18 rating for Game 3 of Yankees-Phillies is +49% better than last year’s 6.1/13 for Rays-Phillies, and +57% in audience (15.4 mill. vs. 9.8 mill.) Last night’s +49% ratings increase is the single largest in the history of the World Series for a prime-time game.
Last night’s game was delayed by rain for 80 minutes. When play got underway at 9:17pm, tune-in was a solid 6.9/13, and peaked at a 10.1/18 (17.2 mill) at 10:30 PM ET. As prime time in the Eastern and Central Time zones ended, the game was in the top of the fifth inning.
PHILADELPHIA topped all markets for Game 3 with a 36.0/57, a +28% gain over their Game 3 rating a year ago (28.2/49). NEW YORK notched a 26.1/44.
2009 WORLD SERIES TO DATE
The first three games of the Fall Classic have averaged a 10.9/19 with an average audience of 17.9 million, a +42% ratings gain and +46% audience surge over last year’s first three games (7.7/14, 12.3 million.) This marks the best three-game average for the World Series since 2004’s 15.0/25 (24.3 million). The World Series is a powerful force in prime time as the first three games would rank as the No. 5 show season-to-date in households, and No. 10 in Adults 18-49.
No matter where the releases are coming from, the ratings for the World Series are definitely something to crow about.
