Braves/Astros game 1 of World Series second worst opener in ratings history
The first game of the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros drew 10.8 million viewers on Fox, the second-lowest ever for a first game since Nielsen began tracking such ratings in the early 1970s.
This figure was higher than last year’s World Series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays during the pandemic at a neutral site, which drew 9.2 million.
Ratings for most everything has dropped off in recent years and the World Series is no exception. As recently as 2016, when the Chicago Cubs were playing the Cleveland Indians, the opening game drew more than 19 million viewers.
World Series ratings peaked in the late 1970s with the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers drawing 44.3 million in game one of that historic 1978 matchup.
The NFL for years has eclipsed baseball. Regular season prime-time NFL games regularly exceed 11 million viewers on any given night. In fact, NFL ratings have rebounded from last year.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
