Fox last night earned an 11.0 overnight rating in Game 2 of the World Series, which saw the Astros come from behind to beat the Dodgers 7-6 in 11 innings. That number is down 3% from last year's Cubs-Indians Game 2, which ended up being the highest-rated World Series Game 2 since Phillies-Yankees in '09. That game also aired an hour earlier -- at 7:00pm ET -- to avoid rain. While down from '16, last night's game is up 18% from a 9.3 in '15 for the Royals' 7-1 victory over the Mets, also on a Wednesday night. Fox in '14 drew an 8.8 overnight for the Royals' 7-2 win over the Giants in Game 2. Astros-Dodgers last night ended up being Fox' highest-rated primetime broadcast since Super Bowl LI in February. The game drew a 30.0 local rating in Houston and a 27.5 in L.A. (Josh Carpenter, Assistant Editor).
TARGET DEMO: AD AGE's Anthony Crupi noted the Astros and Dodgers thus far are "reaching a slightly older audience than the last two MLB title tilts." The median age of Game 1 viewers "was 55.2 years, up from 53.2 years for the Cubs-Indians opener and from 52.7 years for" Mets-Royals in '15. The "slight greying" of the World Series crowd is "evident in the audience demos." Tuesday's game "averaged a 3.9 rating, or 5.04 million adults" in the 18-49 demo. By comparison, the first meeting between the Mets and Royals in '15 "drew a 4.6, or 5.83 adults" between 18-49 (ADAGE.com, 10/25).
GET YOUR GOAT: Legendary Dodgers announcer Vin Scully helped throw out the first pitch last night before Game 2, and Fox' Joe Buck said Scully is "still the best to ever" call a game. Buck acknowledged there have been fan petitions to get Scully to call a World Series game nationally on Fox. He said, "I will drive to wherever Vin Scully is and hand deliver him to the booth if he would ever agree to it.” Buck: “As Jack Buck’s son, I realize the power and the grace and elegance that is Vin Scully in Los Angeles. There’s only one Vin Scully. There’s only one that ever sat at a microphone like this and did it nationally. ... He is the best, hands down. Nobody’s even close to the category” (“Astros-Dodgers Game 2,” Fox, 10/25). L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke tweeted, "Dodgers portrayed as Hollywood's team, but that was as sweet and homespun of a first ball ceremony as I've seen." ESPN's Rachel Nichols: "Scully doing 5 minutes of schtick before handing off the 1st pitch to Fernando Valenzuela pretty much justifies my ticket this game." SB Nation's Ryan Walton: "All the feels for Vin Scully." Wall Street Journal's Jared Diamond: "Just cancel the game and let Vin Scully stand on the mound and entertain us for the next 3 1/2 hours." NBC Sports' Patrick Daugherty: "Scully is one of the last universally agreed upon things we've got."
PASSED BALL In Raleigh, Brooke Cain notes AT&T U-verse subscribers in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill "haven't been able to watch" the World Series on TV, thanks to a "six-week dispute" with WRAL-NBC and WRAZ-Fox' parent company Capitol Broadcasting Company. NBC and Fox have "been off the air for local AT&T U-Verse customers since Sept. 13, when the company’s contract with CBC expired." Negotiations between the companies "are ongoing" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 10/26).
