The two-game average final national Nielsen rating for
the Mets-Yankees World Series is 12.0/21, down 18% from a
14.6/24 a year ago for Yankees-Braves on NBC. Saturday's
12-inning Game One earned an 11.5/22, down 19% from last
year's 14.2/26. Sunday's Game Two produced a 12.6/20, down
16% from last year's 15.0/23 (THE DAILY). USA TODAY's Rudy
Martzke writes, "So far, the New York Subway Series has
taken a respectable ratings track." Martzke notes that
although the preliminary 14.6 average overnight rating for
this year's Series was down 5% from NBC's 15.4 a year ago,
ratings are up 2% from '98's 14.3 rating for Padres-Yankees
on Fox. Pilson Communications President Neal Pilson: "To
say you're about even with a blowout Yankees-San Diego
Series shows the ratings are holding up but not
outstanding." Martzke adds that the 41.9 average rating in
number one market N.Y. for the first two games "has been
offset" by an 11.5 average in the next 15 markets (USA
TODAY, 10/24). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Michele Greppi adds
that ABC's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," which drew 20.1
million viewers from 9:00-10:00pm ET, and "The Practice,"
which attracted 19 million viewers from 10:00-11:00pm ET,
won their hours by 1.3 million and 2.9 million viewers,
respectively, on Sunday (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/24). In
N.Y., Richard Huff writes that the Series "hit a ratings
home run locally Sunday night, although Fox TV was in a
batting slump elsewhere around the nation" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
10/24). On Long Island, Steve Zipay writes that the WNYW-
Fox' telecast of Sunday's Game Two registered a 42.1
overnight rating, but the share decreased from a 62 in Game
One to 56. In Miami, Game Two drew a 16.2, 15.4 in DC, 15.0
in Houston, 13.6 in Boston, 13.5 in Atlanta and L.A., 11.2
in Philadelphia, 10.5 in S.F., 9.8 in Chicago and 9.3 in
Detroit (NEWSDAY, 10/24). CNNfn's Beverly Schuch said, "One
thing advertisers closely watch [is] ratings and this year's
World Series doesn't appear to be measuring up outside of
the New York City subway radius. ... However, advertisers
targeting Gotham are in luck. The first game scored the
highest viewership in New York" ("Biz Buzz," CNNfn, 10/23).
In Dallas, Barry Horn notes that the World Series is "on
pace to challenge" for the lowest-rated Fall Classic ever
and asks, "Can you say Subway Derailment?" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 10/24). But Fox Sports President & Exec Producer Ed
Goren said, "One thing we've seen so far is that the idea of
a New York-New York series doesn't translate West of the
Hudson is a fallacy. These numbers are in line with the
last three World Series in an environment of eroding
ratings" (AP, 10/23).
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SPLINTERS ON YOUR PIAZZA? In
Boston, Jim Baker writes that if Yankees manager Joe Torre
"had been watching the tube" during Game Two, "he would know
a new standard for media overkill was set" by Fox, FSN,
ESPN, CNN and other Sunday night sports shows with coverage
of Yankees P Roger Clemens throwing part of Mets C Mike
Piazza's broken bat in Piazza's direction in the first
inning (BOSTON HERALD, 10/24). NEWSDAY's Zipay writes that
the "nationwide attention that the story received should
bring more viewers to the set tonight for Round 3 at Shea
Stadium" (NEWSDAY, 10/24). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes
under the header, "Clemens Hurled the Bat, but It Was Fox
That Dropped the Ball." Sandomir criticizes the net's
coverage of the event because MLB's "viewpoint was not
pursued" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/24). Also in N.Y., Bob Raissman
writes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman "went into the Fox
broadcast booth to confront" analyst Tim McCarver, who,
"among other things, said the crowd was 'stunned' by
Clemens' move. Cashman told McCarver his analysis of the
crowd was not fair." Raissman: "But isn't it McCarver's job
to analyze and interpret?" (N.Y. POST, 10/24). In Boston,
Howard Manly, on the Clemens-Piazza incident: "For a network
that loves car crashes and animal tricks, Fox officials
couldn't be more ecstatic that the Series not only features
two teams from a city that the country loves to hate, but
also has two overpaid professional athletes engaged in a
mind-altering jihad. ... Expect to see at least 300 more
highlights of the bat-throwing incident and boneheaded Met
baserunning" during Game Three tonight (B. GLOBE, 10/24).
