Fox' broadcast of last night's Mets-Yankees World
Series Game Two produced a 15.2/23 preliminary Nielsen
overnight average rating, down 3% from last year's Yankees-
Braves comparable game, which drew a 15.7/24 (INSIDE.com,
10/23). For Saturday night's telecast of the 12-inning Game
One earned a 14.0/25 preliminary rating, down 7% from last
year's nine-inning Game One, which drew a 15.0/26 on NBC and
gave Fox its first nightly primetime household first-place
ratings finish since coverage of Super Bowl XXXIII on
January 31, 1999. In finishing last night as the most-
watched network, Fox' rating beat ABC's 8.7/15 by 61%, CBS'
6.5/11 by 115% and NBC's 3.8/6 by 268%. The rating is down
2% from '98's Padres-Yankees Game-One rating of 14.3/25 also
on Fox, and flat with '97's Indians-Marlins Game One rating
on NBC (Fox). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes, "At a time
when ratings for most sports on network television are
decreasing, slippage this slight is considered passable"
(USA TODAY, 10/23). MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said that
lower TV ratings have "not caused alarm within" MLB: "I
really believe if this series goes beyond five games, the
ratings are going to be very good. ... I've talked to all
our television partners. They seem to be less concerned
than anyone else" (WASH. POST, 10/22). In Atlanta, Prentis
Rogers writes that the World Series is "on track to be the
lowest-rated" in TV history (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/23).
APPLE OF THEIR EYE: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Michele
Greppi writes that in N.Y., Game One's preliminary rating
makes it the highest-rated TV event since the "Seinfeld"
finale earned a 49.1/63 in May '98 and the biggest World
Series audience since Braves-Yankees Game Six in '96, which
earned a 43.5/60. For Fox, ratings "built every half hour
through midnight" for Game One, peaking at 16.8/31 in the
11:30pm-12:00am half-hour and "tailing off" to 14.8/31 at
the end (HOLLY. REPORTER, 10/23). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir
writes that Game One "was powered" by a 41.6/62 in the local
market, equal to 2.8 million HHs (N.Y. TIMES, 10/23).
MARKET WATCH: In Boston, Jim Baker notes the city's
12.3/24 rating and writes that MLB "clearly needs a change
of pace to lure viewers." Baker notes that the rating for
Game One was an 11.7 in S.F., an 11.0 in Philadelphia, a
10.3 in Chicago, a 10.0 in Atlanta, a 9.9 in DC and an 8.2
in Detroit (BOSTON HERALD, 10/23). In Houston, David Barron
writes that Miami's 15.0/25, Phoenix' 12.6/22, Boston's
12.3/24, L.A.'s 12.2/22 and Cleveland's 12.1/23 all were
higher than Houston's 12.0/20 for Game One on KRIV-Fox
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/23). The New Yorker's David Remnick,
when asked if there would be interest in this World Series
outside of N.Y., said, "Who cares?" Remnick: "There's a
real feeling of self-regard and maybe arrogance to this
Series ... and I'm sure that there are parts of the country
and some viewers who really see this as almost like the
Iran-Iraq war" ("Today," NBC, 10/21). Manny Ramos of KPIX-
CBS in S.F appeared on "The Early Show" today and discussed
with Bryant Gumbel the appeal of the Subway Series outside
N.Y. Ramos presented a N.Y. Times/CBS News Poll which
asked, "Who Do You Want to Win the World Series?" Of the
respondents, 20% said Yankees, 20% said Mets and 58% said,
"Don't Care." Ramos: "It seems many people outside N.Y. are
simply not interested" (CBS, 10/23).
HEAD-TO-HEAD IN N.Y.: Sandomir also wrote that over
"about 100 games each," the Yankees' rating this season on
MSG was 2.97/(204,187 HHs), while the Mets' rating on Fox
Sports N.Y. was a 2.49/(171,187 HHs). The Yankees' and
Mets' ratings "far surpassed" last season's NHL Rangers' MSG
rating, which drew a 0.86/(59,125 HHs), but the Knicks'
2.81/(193,187 HHs) beat the Mets. MSG Exec VP/Advertising
Sales Joe Gangone said that when the Rangers and Knicks "are
hot, they are a steamier sell for MSG." Gangone: "I can
really maximize them more than baseball. When they play
well, there's nothing like it" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/22).
CRITICS' CORNER: In Chicago, Ed Sherman calls Fox
Sports Coordinating Producer Michael Weisman's move to
"understate" the N.Y.-N.Y. "angle" on the Series during Game
One a "wise choice." Sherman writes that Weisman "limited
the crowd shots and showed only a smattering of celebrities.
Weisman also declined to use a roving reporter in the
stands" (CHI. TRIBUNE, 10/23). In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich
writes on the "amount of exposure" Fox dedicated to Mets
manager Bobby Valentine and Yankees manager Joe Torre.
Zelkovich: "Why Fox bores us with pictures of middle-aged
guys doing absolutely nothing of interest to anyone but
their mothers is a mystery since it seems to have a pretty
firm grasp of what viewers want in game coverage. ... Joe
Buck and Tim McCarver have developed into a superb team,
especially since McCarver realized he doesn't have to fill
seconds of air time with talk" (TORONTO STAR, 10/23).
DELAY OF GAME WARNING: In Dallas, Ken Daley notes that
last night's Game Two took 3:30, while Game One took 4:51.
MLB's first 28 postseason games this year have taken an
average of 3:34 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/23). USA TODAY's
Hal Bodley writes if Selig "isn't concerned about Game 1 of
the World Series not ending until 1:04 a.m. ET Sunday, he
should be. ... For just once, I wish [MLB] would take a
stand and try to get earlier starting times, especially for
weekend games. Even a 7:30 p.m. start would make a
difference" (USA TODAY, 10/23). In N.Y., Ira Berkow writes
under the header, "Baseball Has Long-Running Problem" (N.Y.
TIMES, 10/23). Selig, on why he is "extremely hesitant to
consider switching the starting time" of World Series games
from night to day: "There's a lot of TV money. Every time
we have a day game during the playoffs, I'm appalled and
stunned at the ratings. They're awful and abysmal. ... I
understand the arguments people have (in favor of day
games), but it's a valid concern and one I'm very sensitive
to. I need more data to support it" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC,
10/22). Selig, on MLB's attempt to "speed up the pace" of
games: "We're making it our No. 1 priority after the World
Series" (HOU. CHRONICLE, 10/23). ESPN's Mike Lupica: "The
pace of play is ... a disaster." Bob Ryan added, "Some
people within the game have blinders [on and] don't want to
hear about" the length of games (ESPN, 10/20).
NEWS-WORTHY: Newsweek magazine will feature a cover
package on the World Series for its October 30 issue. The
last and only other time Newsweek featured a World Series
cover was on October 4, 1954, when the Indians and Giants
played. A recent Newsweek poll of 1,007 registered voters
conducted October 18-20 shows that 47% said that they are
not interested in baseball (Newsweek). The cover features
Mets C Mike Piazza and Yankees SS Derek Jeter and is
available on newsstands today (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/23).
The N.Y. Daily News published its largest Saturday edition
in its 81-year history this past weekend, a 160-page paper
with a commemorative 96-page Subway Series color section.
The average Saturday edition is 80 pages. Daily News
President Les Goodstein: "Advertisers have gone absolutely
wild in anticipation of a Subway Series" (N.Y. Daily News).
RUDY MAKES HIS ROUNDS ON THE MORNING CIRCUIT: N.Y.
Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared on "GMA" this morning to
discuss the Series. He was wearing a tie with a Yankees
pattern on it. Giuliani also appeared on CBS' "The Early
Show" to discuss the Series with Bryant Gumbel. Giuliani
wore a Yankees cap (THE DAILY).
