The Giants-Royals World Series begins tonight on Fox, but the "only way" this year's matchup will top viewership from the six-game Red Sox-Cardinals series last year "is if the series goes seven games," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. The Royals "are a great story," but the K.C. TV market "is small (No. 31 in the country)." Additionally, the Giants' last two appearances in the World Series in '10 and '12 "were the two least-watched during that time" (SI.com, 10/20). Fox last year bounced back from a record-low World Series audience in ’12 with an 8.9 rating and 14.9 million viewers for Red Sox-Cardinals. The Giants’ sweep of the Tigers in ’12 averaged a 7.6 rating and 12.66 million viewers, both record lows. The Fall Classic has not averaged a double-digit rating since the seven-game Cardinals-Rangers matchup in ’11. Fox also had its oldest median age on record with last year’s World Series. The median age for Red Sox-Cardinals was 54.2, up from 53.4 in ’12, which was the previous record-high The median age for the World Series has not dipped below 50 since the six-game Yankees-Phillies matchup in ’09 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
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WORLD SERIES AVERAGE AUDIENCE TREND ON FOX
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YEAR
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GAMES
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RATING
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VIEWERS (000)
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MATCHUP
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MEDIAN AGE
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'13
|
6
|
8.9
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14,900
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Red Sox-Cardinals
|
54.2
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'12
|
4
|
7.6
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12,660
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Giants-Tigers
|
53.4
|
|
'11
|
7
|
10.0
|
16,645
|
Cardinals-Rangers
|
52.5
|
|
'10
|
5
|
8.4
|
14,268
|
Giants-Rangers
|
52.6
|
|
'09
|
6
|
11.7
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19,387
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Yankees-Phillies
|
49.9
|
|
'08^
|
5
|
8.4
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13,635
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Phillies-Rays
|
50.5
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'07
|
4
|
10.6
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17,123
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Red Sox-Rockies
|
49.7
|
|
'06
|
5
|
10.1
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15,812
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Cardinals-Tigers
|
51.5
|
|
'05
|
4
|
11.1
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17,162
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White Sox-Astros
|
49.8
|
|
'04
|
4
|
15.8
|
25,390
|
Red Sox-Cardinals
|
48.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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CHART NOTES: * = Average includes a Game 5 that was suspended after 5 2/3 innings and resumed the following night on a Wednesday. A combined audience figure is used for both nights of Game 5.
ROLL WITH THE CHANGES: Fox Sports President & COO Eric Shanks said that he was "pleased with fans' understanding and acceptance" of the new broadcast schedule for the NLCS, which included games on FS1 for the first time. Shanks: "Going into it we had hoped or had expectations that Fox Sports 1 would perform at the same rate hopefully that Turner broadcasts have done in the past, even though Turner is in 10 million more homes. The rate at which people found these games was actually higher than the rate at which they found games on Turner ... I think we're really pleased at the position we're in, especially considering that it's Year One" (
NEWSDAY, 10/21). In California, Michael Lev notes while NLCS Games 4 and 5 delivered the
two most-watched programs ever on FS1, the size of the audiences were not "as big as they would have been if the games had been on Fox." But it is "a definite sign of progress for FS1," which launched in August '13. Thanks "mostly to the MLB playoffs, FS1’s Year 2 viewership is up significantly over Year 1" (
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/21).
NEW CREW: In Oklahoma City, Mel Bracht writes Fox' booth with Joe Buck and analysts Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci "has hit a home run in its first season together with interesting insight and the ability to stay quiet during dramatic moments." Buck said, "Of all the sports, baseball lends itself the best to a three-man booth, but it’s too much if A) the people are talking constantly and B) it’s the same type view. We have neither of those." Buck beginning tonight will "be working his 17th World Series and his first without" former broadcast partner Tim McCarver. But Buck said that Reynolds and Verducci "bring different perspectives to the broadcasts." Verducci said that the trio "has quickly developed chemistry" (OKLAHOMAN, 10/21). Meanwhile, McCarver said of his role this season broadcasting 30 Cardinals games on FS Midwest, "This year could not have worked out any better to bridge any quasi-retirement I was in. I had to back away eventually, because that’s a natural thing to do. It all came together, and I am very happy with the way it worked out." He added of watching Buck call this year's World Series without him, "Will I have wistful memories? I don’t think so. I haven’t had any (feelings of): ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I was there.’ None of that stuff entered my mind" (N.Y. POST, 10/21).
