11/10 Update: As we reported earlier, the 2008 World Series, bedeviled by both the weather and unpopular teams, was the lowest rated/least viewed in modern TV history. The chart and table have been updated with the final 2008 numbers.
The Tampa Bay Rays (TV market #13) beat the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS to face the Philadelphia Phillies (TV market #4) in the 2008 World Series and now Fox faces the prospect of record low World Series TV ratings. The Red Sox would easily have kept the ratings out of record (low) territory, but its hard to imagine a worse team for ratings from the AL than the Tampa Bay Rays. A team that barely has a fan base in its own city, and with no national fan base at all. The Phillies have a big local TV market, but that will matter little, they have a relatively small national fan base. As much as the sports world loves to complain about the Yanks and Sox, baseball TV ratings depend on them in the post-season.
In this century, for World Series average viewership to break 20 million, it requires the Yankees or the Red Sox playing. Although in 2000, even the Yankees couldn't pull an all NY matchup above 20 million. This year, I'm confident we'll see the lowest average viewership of any World Series in the last 40 years (as far back as our data goes), lower than 2006 St. Louis Cardinals v. Detriot Tigers matchup which averaged 15.81 million viewers.
Full World Series Ratings Data, 1968-2008:
| Year | Net | #Telecasts | rating | Share | Homes | Viewers | Teams |
| 2008 | FOX | 5 | 8.4 | 14 | 13,635,000 | Tampa Bay Rays/Philadelphia Phillies | |
| 2007 | FOX | 4 | 10.6 | 18 | 11,994,000 | 17,123,000 | Boston Red Sox / Colorado Rockies |
| 2006 | FOX | 5 | 10.1 | 17 | 11,282,000 | 15,812,000 | St. Louis Cardinals /Detroit Tigers |
| 2005 | FOX | 4 | 11.1 | 19 | 12,272,000 | 17,162,000 | Chicago White Sox/Houston Astros |
| 2004 | FOX | 4 | 15.8 | 26 | 17,270,000 | 25,390,000 | Boston Red Sox/St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2003 | FOX | 6 | 12.8 | 22 | 13,834,000 | 20,142,000 | Florida Marlins / NY Yankees |
| 2002 | FOX | 7 | 11.9 | 20 | 12,645,000 | 19,261,000 | Anahiem Angels/San Francisco Giants |
| 2001 | FOX | 7 | 15.7 | 26 | 16,519,000 | 24,528,000 | Arizona Diamnondbacks / NY Yankees |
| 2000 | FOX | 5 | 12.4 | 21 | 12,657,000 | 18,081,000 | NY Yankees / NY Mets |
| 1999 | NBC | 4 | 16.0 | 26 | 16,105,000 | 23,731,000 | NY Yankees / Atlanta Braves |
| 1998 | FOX | 4 | 14.1 | 24 | 14,050,000 | 20,340,000 | NY Yankees / San Diego Padres |
| 1997 | NBC | 7 | 16.7 | 29 | 16,410,000 | 24,790,000 | Florida Marlins / Cleveland Indians |
| 1996 | FOX | 6 | 17.4 | 29 | 16,890,000 | 25,220,000 | NY Yankees / Atlanta Braves |
| 1995 | ABC | 6 | 19.5 | 33 | 18,710,000 | 28,970,000 | Atlanta Braves / Cleveland Indians |
| 1994 | Baseball Strike | ||||||
| 1993 | CBS | 6 | 17.3 | 30 | 16,330,000 | 24,700,000 | Toronto Blue Jays / Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1992 | CBS | 6 | 20.2 | 34 | 18,820,000 | 30,010,000 | Toronto Blue Jays / Atlanta Braves |
| 1991 | CBS | 7 | 24.0 | 39 | 22,060,000 | 35,680,000 | Minnesota Twins / Atlanta Braves |
| 1990 | CBS | 4 | 20.8 | 36 | 19,320,000 | 30,240,000 | Cincinnati Reds / Oakland Athletics |
| 1989 | ABC | 4 | 16.4 | 29 | 15,090,000 | 24,550,000 | Oakland Athletics / San Francisco Giants |
| 1988 | NBC | 5 | 23.9 | 39 | 21,610,000 | 34,490,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / Oakland Athletics |
| 1987 | ABC | 7 | 24.0 | 41 | 21,230,000 | 35,340,000 | Minnesota Twins / St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1986 | NBC | 7 | 28.6 | 46 | 23,640,000 | 36,370,000 | New York Mets / Boston Red Sox |
| 1985 | ABC | 7 | 25.3 | 39 | 21,740,000 | 34,510,000 | Kansas City Royals / St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1984 | NBC | 5 | 22.9 | 40 | 19,270,000 | 28,010,000 | Detroit Tigers / San Diego Padres |
| 1983 | ABC | 5 | 23.3 | 41 | 19,570,000 | 29,540,000 | Baltimore Orioles / Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1982 | NBC | 7 | 27.9 | 49 | 23,370,000 | 38,070,000 | St. Louis Cardinals / Milwaukee Brewers |
| 1981 | ABC | 6 | 30.0 | 49 | 24,480,000 | 41,370,000 | Los Angeles Dodgers / NY Yankees |
| 1980 | NBC | 6 | 32.8 | 56 | 25,380,000 | 42,300,000 | Philadelphia Phillies / Kansas City Royals |
| 1979 | ABC | 7 | 28.5 | 50 | 21,730,000 | 37,960,000 | Pittsburgh Pirates / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1978 | NBC | 6 | 32.8 | 56 | 24,450,000 | 44,278,950 | NY Yankees / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1977 | ABC | 6 | 29.8 | 53 | 21,720,000 | 37,150,000 | NY Yankees / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1976 | NBC | 4 | 27.5 | 48 | 19,580,000 | 34,720,000 | Cincinnati Reds / NY Yankees |
| 1975 | NBC | 7 | 28.7 | 52 | 19,980,000 | 35,960,000 | Cincinnati Reds / Boston Red Sox |
| 1974 | NBC | 5 | 25.6 | 46 | 17,540,000 | 29,080,000 | Oakland Athletics / Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1973 | NBC | 7 | 30.7 | 57 | 20,320,000 | 34,750,000 | Oakland Athletics / NY Mets |
| 1972 | NBC | 7 | 27.5 | 58 | NA | NA | Oakland Athletics / Cincinnati Reds |
| 1971 | NBC | 7 | 24.2 | 59 | NA | NA | Pittsburgh Pirates / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1970 | NBC | 5 | 19.4 | 53 | NA | NA | Baltimore Orioles / Cincinnati Reds |
| 1969 | NBC | 5 | 22.4 | 58 | NA | NA | NY Mets / Baltimore Orioles |
| 1968 | NBC | 7 | 22.8 | 57 | NA | NA | Detroit Tigers / St. Louis Cardinals |
*While there were six telecasts for the 2008 series, there were only five games. The sixth telecast was the completion of game five which was suspended due to rain.
Copyright © 2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
If they would play the games during the hours that most of the youth of America could watch America’s Favorite Pastime then maybe the ratings would be higher– plus more kids might fall in love with baseball — but having the 7th inning of game #2 start at 11:11 EST is not “in the ball park.”
tom k
If they would play the games during the hours that most of the youth of America could watch America’s Favorite Pastime then maybe the ratings would be higher– plus more kids might fall in love with baseball — but having the 7th inning of game #2 start at 11:11 EST is not “in the ball park.”
tom k
Having The Red Sox look like clowns with ringlets, ugly half facial hair, full beards, necklaces of pearls and faces leering is not what the public wants to see. These guys make millions and Ramirez says “WHO CARES IF WE LOSE”.
WITH A $20,000,000 PER YEAR GUARANTEED CONTRACT, THE PUBLIC DOES`NT CARE EITHER.
Its not baseball !
Having The Red Sox look like clowns with ringlets, ugly half facial hair, full beards, necklaces of pearls and faces leering is not what the public wants to see. These guys make millions and Ramirez says “WHO CARES IF WE LOSE”.
WITH A $20,000,000 PER YEAR GUARANTEED CONTRACT, THE PUBLIC DOES`NT CARE EITHER.
Its not baseball !
It’s Baseball, not a fashion show…
It’s Baseball, not a fashion show…