World Series TV ratings: Epic Game 7 was off the charts
A.J. Perez , USA TODAY Sports 11:44 a.m. EDT November 3, 2016
Wednesday night’s dramatic Game 7 of the World Series, as expected, led to some impressive ratings for Fox.
The broadcast of Chicago Cubs’ 8-7 victory over the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings earned an overnight rating of 25.2, Fox announced on Thursday. It was the most-watched baseball game for Fox since Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, a decisive game that featured the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks that yielded a 27.0.
Outside of the presidential debates, the game was also the most-watched telecast since February's Super Bowl 50, according to Fox. The rating was also a 66% improvement over the last Game 7 in a World Series, a contest that pitted the San Francisco Giants against the Kansas City Royals in 2014.
Fox projected the telecast to be the largest it's had in prime time since January 2007
The game drew a record 51.2 rating in the Chicago market and a 71 share, meaning 71% of televisions in use in Chicago were tuned to the game. Cleveland had a 48.6 rating and a 69 share.
That national share was 40.
Overall, the series had a 14.9 rating and 25 share in markets metered by Nielsen, the highest-rated World Series since 2004 (Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals). It garnered 48% higher ratings than last year's New York Mets-Kansas City Royals World Series.