Having the Yankees in the World Series will assure Fox "of
its highest ratings ever," according to Richard Huff of the N.Y.
DAILY NEWS. If the series goes seven games, Fox could win its
"first-ever weekly prime-time Nielsen crown." Media buyer Paul
Schulman: "Without a doubt, this is the biggest event in Fox
history." Last year's Braves-Indians World Series drew a six-
game average of a 19.5/33 and Fox is hoping to use this year's
telecast to promote its prime-time schedule (N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
10/15). The latest first pitch of World Series games on Fox
will be 8:18pm ET for Game Four on Wednesday, October 23. Games
Three and Five start at 8:15, with the extra three minutes before
Game Four used for an MLB promotion. Fox Sports' Vince Wladika:
"The whole point is to start the games sooner to allow the World
Series to be seen by more youngsters and the broadest possible
audience" (Steve Zipay, NEWSDAY, 10/15).
RATINGS: Friday's NBC Yankees-Orioles Game Three drew a
10.0/19, down from the regionalized game of '95 which drew a
12.1/22 (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/15). NBC's Yankees-Orioles Game Five
on Sunday drew an 11. 1 overnight. It was the first time a
prime-time playoff game this year outdrew a playoff game last
year during regionalization. Fox's Game Four of Braves-Cardinals
on Sunday drew a 10.8 overnight (USA TODAY, 10/15). The five-game
average for the Yankees-Orioles series in Baltimore's local
audience was a 28.7/51 (Milton Kent, Baltimore SUN, 10/15). Up
until last night, Fox' two prime-time Braves-Cardinals games
averaged an 8.7, down from last year's 14.0 regional action (USA
TODAY, 10/14).
