World Series is lowest-rated ever

[thunderbolts 0]

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox's first world championship in 88 years was also the lowest-rated World Series ever.

 

Chicago's four-game sweep of the Houston Astros averaged an 11.1 national rating with a 19 share on Fox. That's down about 7 percent from the previous low, an 11.9 with a 20 share for the 2002 World Series between the Anaheim Angels and the San Francisco Giants. While the 2002 World Series, which went seven games, rated higher overall, it was only averaging an 11.0 through four games.

 

This year was a drop of almost 30 percent from last year's series, in which the Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals for their first title in 86 years. That had a 15.8 rating with a 25 share. Wednesday night's 1-0 Chicago win had a 13.0 preliminary national rating with a 21 share. It was the highest-rated prime-time show on Fox since the final of ``American Idol'' in May, but still not enough to save the series from being the lowest-rated. Despite rating so low in comparison to other World Series, the four games of this series were each the highest rated prime-time network programs on their respective nights.

 

In comparison:

 

The New England Patriots became the second team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four seasons by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville. The game was witnessed by 133.7 million viewers, making Super Bowl XXXIX the fifth-most watched program in U.S. television history, February 6.

[mnvikejohn 1]

Wait... They played the World Series this week? Who won, the Red Sox or the Cardinals?

[cinciman7 2]

Wait... They played the World Series this week? Who won, the Red Sox or the Cardinals?

Is the strike over

[Theyhateme459 0]

Good!!! Don't ever not have a Sunday Night game because of a Baseball World Series ever again.

[swirvenirvin 25]

I wathced about 15 minutes in total

[mnvikejohn 1]

A.J. Pierzynski should have cheated again, then ratings would have gone up.

[duece2626 0]

Good!!! Don't ever not have a Sunday Night game because of a Baseball World Series ever again.

[hawk82 0]

I watched zero! Baseball is like watching paint dry.

[mnvikejohn 1]

I watched zero! Baseball is like watching paint dry.

Unless A.J. Pierzynski cheats!

[PackerAaron 0]

I love the game. I hate MLB.

[helix 0]

I think the 9'ers/AZ game in Mexico City would have crushed any game in this WS. Baseball is dying.

[hawk82 0]

They were talking on ESPN radio yesterday about how athletes are not playing baseball because it's boring. They said that there are maybe 6 great athletes in all of baseball as compared to Football and Basketball where there are hundreds. It's a slow sport, where you don't need to be a true athlete to be good. The true athletes stand out in baseball. I concur.

[rallo 132]

They were talking on ESPN radio yesterday about how athletes are not playing baseball because it's boring. They said that there are maybe 6 great athletes in all of baseball as compared to Football and Basketball where there are hundreds. It's a slow sport, where you don't need to be a true athlete to be good. The true athletes stand out in baseball. I concur.

although having world class athletes doesn't make people watch the NBA...

[Freakcat 0]

I love the game. I hate MLB.

Totally agree! MLB sux. Until they figure something out so to make it more like the NFL this will not change. Horrible when the worst player on the Yankees would be a marquee name on the Royals.

[hawk82 0]

How do you make it better when athletes don't want to play the game?

 

Agree on the NBA. I sometimes watch the NBA, but not as much as I did before players started bouncing around. I liked it when Magic, Bird, Isaiha (sp), and Dr. J played. You knew which team they were going to be playing on and had a chance to be a homer.

[Theyhateme459 0]

They were talking on ESPN radio yesterday about how athletes are not playing baseball because it's boring.  They said that there are maybe 6 great athletes in all of baseball as compared to Football and Basketball where there are hundreds.  It's a slow sport, where you don't need to be a true athlete to be good.  The true athletes stand out in baseball.  I concur.

although having world class athletes doesn't make people watch the NBA...

The NBA has gotten ridiculous.... I don't know who the starters are going to be from 1 year to the next....

 

Typical Team in 2004

PG- Player A

SG- Player B

SF- Player C

PF- Player D

C- Player E

Future hall of fame coach

 

Now in 2005

PG- Player A

SG- Player M

SF- Player P

PF- Player R

C- Player Z

Coach from Team XYZ.

[mobb_deep 917]

A.J. Pierzynski should have cheated again, then ratings would have gone up.

 

 

 

 

 

disgruntled halo fan here

[hawk82 0]

The NBA has gotten ridiculous.... I don't know who the starters are going to be from 1 year to the next....

 

Typical Team in 2004

PG- Player A

SG- Player B

SF- Player C

PF- Player D

C- Player E

Future hall of fame coach

 

Now in 2005

PG- Player A

SG- Player M

SF- Player P

PF- Player R

C- Player Z

Coach from Team XYZ.

 

Barely beat you to the punch. I agree completely....see above.

[Black Ice 0]

I love the game. I hate MLB.

that's the way I am. With so many of the high priced "big-name" players concentrated across a few teams, no wonder the ratings are dog sh1t. Blame the economics of baseball; they have slowly been destroying their fan base each year something isn't done to level the playing field. I'm of the opinion there are less and less American youths playing the game. This has already been documented with less African-American youths participating in the game. It won't be long before a good population of the fan base is completely gone, as the babeball purists/old farts die off, and their isn't a decent influx of American talent to win new fans over.

 

That's just my opinion. Baseball has been dead to me for the last ten years, but it was "my" sport growing up.

[Blue Martini 0]

Good!!! Don't ever not have a Sunday Night game because of a Baseball World Series ever again.

Right On Brutha!!!!

[mdubz 0]

im proud to say i didnt watch an inning.

[Blue Martini 0]

I think the 9'ers/AZ game in Mexico City would have crushed any game in this WS. Baseball is dying.

4, 5 or 6 hour games starting at 8:30 pm is not attracting any youth to the games/sport at all...my son is 9 and I asked his buddy the other day who was in the world series (this kid is a good little league player and excellent athlete and very bright as well) and he said "um, I don't know - Cardinals?" - they go to bed at 9:30 or so, that's like 2 1/2 innings of boringness.

 

Football does it right - on TV all day Sat and Sun...day and night.

[JediMaster 20]

I wathced about 15 minutes in total

That's about 15 more minutes than me.

 

They took football off Sunday night because they knew more people would watch that instead of the boring World Series.

 

Plus the World Series had Joe "I'm a Moron" Buck announcing. NO Thanks I'll pass

[mggoilers 0]

I watched it, and I enjoyed it. Ratings are the lowest ever, but it still beat everything else on TV.

 

NASCAR and NFL ratings are the only ones going up

Everything is taking a dive.

 

Fan Friendly wins

[Frankie Valiant 0]

nobody cares about the White Sox, thats the bottom line!.....

[NJJoe20 0]

More people watched the WS than any other show on television during its timeslot, that counts for something...

[t.j 35]

World Series is lowest-rated ever

 

Fantastic! Football rules, baseball drools!

[Parkers99 0]

base-ball?

 

 

Thats the sport they play in the old movies, right?

 

 

 

Haven't watched since the strike

[RoadLizard 73]

Interesting discussion....I suppose.

 

I like baseball and cant stand basketball..... so lets go over some things:

 

- Basketball is the haven for thugs, druggies, and general malcontents who complain about white owners holding them down.... as they pull away in their "pimped" Hummer with "Shaq" rims on them.

 

- Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports.... period. Making a basket is relatively easy, especially when the average player can dunk without jumping.

 

- Every team makes the playoffs in the NBA... and then they make even the first series 7 games. That sucks more money out of moron NBA fans wallet.

 

- Noone plays hard except for the last 30 seconds of the game.

 

- A huge lead in 100% meaningless in basketball. Alls you have to watch is the last 2 minutes...... er wait...... the last two minutes takes an HOUR because of all the focking timeouts they call.

 

I could go on...but face it..... the NBA SUCKS and their Championship last year got no ratings either because it was dull.

[hawk82 0]

- Basketball is the haven for thugs, druggies, and general malcontents who complain about white owners holding them down.... as they pull away in their "pimped" Hummer with "Shaq" rims on them. 

 

I'm really talking about baseball.

[McPhreak 0]

More people watched the WS than any other show on television during its timeslot, that counts for something...

That's cuz there's not a lot on at 1:00am...

[Rock Gossard 0]

This is Shocking!

 

I'm always watching the World Series of Poker. In fact just the other night, I was even watching it without any sound because ESPN was all messed up.

[McPhreak 0]

Interesting discussion....I suppose.

 

I like baseball and cant stand basketball..... so lets go over some things:

 

- Basketball is the haven for thugs, druggies, and general malcontents who complain about white owners holding them down.... as they pull away in their "pimped" Hummer with "Shaq" rims on them. 

 

- Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports.... period.  Making a basket is relatively easy, especially when the average player can dunk without jumping. 

 

- Every team makes the playoffs in the NBA... and then they make even the first series 7 games.  That sucks more money out of moron NBA fans wallet. 

 

- Noone plays hard except for the last 30 seconds of the game.

 

- A huge lead in 100% meaningless in basketball.  Alls you have to watch is the last 2 minutes...... er wait...... the last two minutes takes an HOUR because of all the focking timeouts they call.

 

I could go on...but face it..... the NBA SUCKS and their Championship last year got no ratings either because it was dull.

"- Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports.... period. Making a basket is relatively easy, especially when the average player can dunk without jumping. "

 

Making a basket when you're tired and you've got a guy guarding you that can dunk without jumping is not relatively easy. Hitting a baseball when you're tired...well we'll never know the answer to that now will we?

 

"- Noone plays hard except for the last 30 seconds of the game."

 

Noone plays hard in the entire game of baseball except for maybe the pitcher for 1/6 of the game.

 

"- A huge lead in 100% meaningless in basketball. Alls you have to watch is the last 2 minutes...... er wait...... the last two minutes takes an HOUR because of all the focking timeouts they call."

 

I can't remember the last 5 hour basketball game, but I can certainly remember the last 5 hour baseball game (In fact weren't there 2 in this years playoffs ALONE?). And don't get me started with pauses in action....

[GonzoHolmes 0]

When George Steinbrenner becomes another Wellington Mara, I'll probably start watching MLB again...but I'm not holding my breath.

[delusional247 0]

I love the game. I hate MLB.

loved playing it, hate watching it

[helix 0]

More people watched the WS than any other show on television during its timeslot, that counts for something...

It really counts for nothing.

 

The reason it won its time slot is that the other networks pulled all new programing and replaced it with repeats. I would imagine that strategy will soon change.

 

Notice that the WS does not go against MNF. They would get crushed.