Record Low TV Ratings for World Series

The San Francisco Giants' sweep of the Detroit Tigers set a record low for the World Series' television ratings. The four games on Fox averaged a 7.6 rating and 12 share, Nielsen Media Research says. The previous low was an 8.4 for the 2008 Phillies-Rays and 2010 Giants-Rangers series, which each went five games. Last year's Cardinals-Rangers World Series went the full seven games and built momentum to average a 10.0/16.

But Fox said it projects to win Saturday and Sunday nights among viewers 18 to 49. "The World Series has been a top-10 primetime hit for over 40 years and even with a four-game sweep this series was no exception," says an exec. "This World Series gave us exactly what we expected: a top-10 show among all viewers and a top five show among hard-to-reach younger men. It's important for us to remain focused on the Series relative to today's competitive environment rather than bygone years." (More World Series stories.)