Fox earned an 8.8 overnight rating for the Royals’ 7-2 win over the Giants in Game 2 of the World Series last night, projecting a win for the network in primetime. While down 7% from a 9.5 overnight for Red Sox-Cardinals Game 2 in ’13, which aired on a Thursday night, last night’s rating is flat with an 8.8 figure for Giants-Tigers Game 2 in ’12. Last night’s rating is up 10% from the 8.0 Game 1 overnight and projects to be Fox’ highest-rated primetime telecast since an “American Idol” broadcast in February. Giants-Royals peaked at a 10.3 rating from 10:00-10:30pm ET. Locally, the game drew a 49.6 overnight in the K.C. market and a 28.7 in S.F.-Oakland-San Jose. Meanwhile, Game 1 scored a 7.3 fast-national rating and 12.2 million viewers despite the Giants coasting to a 7-1 win. From 8:05-11:00pm, the game averaged a 7.7 rating with 12.8 million viewers, which projects a primetime win for Fox in the 18-49 demo. K.C. also posted a 48.2 local rating, the highest-rated Fall Classic Game 1 in any market since ’07 (Josh Carpenter, Staff Writer).
MUCH MEDIA: The Royals said that some 1,400 media members "were issued credentials" for Games 1 and 2. In K.C., Mike Hendricks notes at any game during the regular season, maybe a "few dozen media types might show up." Not even a "presidential visit brings out the national media the way a World Series does." Inside the stadium last night, media members "swarmed the field during batting practice." As fans "filed in two and a half hours before first pitch, there were easily more reporters, photographers and various TV crew folks crowded around the cages than both teams combined" (K.C. STAR, 10/23).
