Overnights
Fox homers with first World Series game
By Toni Fitzgerald
Oct 29, 2009 - 11:39:42 AM

The World Series got off to its best start since 2004 last night, seeing huge gains over last year as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Yankees 6-1.

Game one averaged 19.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen time zone-adjusted fast national data provided by Fox.

That was up 34 percent over last year's opener and marked the best start to a World Series since the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox squared off in 2004.

Game one averaged a 6.3 adults 18-49 rating, up 31 percent over last year. In fact, this year's game one bettered every single one of last year's games and was the highest-rated World Series since game four in 2007.

Still, with non-baseball fans looking for entertainment, ABC and the CW both saw their lineups rise week to week.

ABC's "The Middle," "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" all increased at least 3 percent versus last week, when they aired against Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Glee."

And the CW's "America's Next Top Model" hit season highs among adults 18-34 (1.9), adults 18-49 (1.6) and total viewers (3.5 million).

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Fox was first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.8 average overnight rating and a 15 share. ABC was second at 2.5/6, CBS and NBC tied for third at 2.1/5, Univision was fifth at 1.4/4 and CW sixth at 1.2/3.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Thirty-three percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

Also, ratings for Fox’s World Series coverage are approximate as fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program data.

Fox led each hour of the night, beginning with a 5.7 at 8 p.m. for baseball, followed by ABC with a 2.1 for a repeat of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (2.0) and “Middle” (2.2). NBC was third with a 2.0 for two airings of “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space,” averaging a 2.2 and 1.9 apiece. CBS and CW tied for fourth at 1.6, CBS for repeats of “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “Gary Unmarried” and CW for “America’s Next Top Model,” and Univision was sixth with a 1.4 for “El Nombre del Amor.”

At 9 p.m. Fox was first with a 5.8 for baseball, while ABC remained second with a 3.4 for “Family” (3.7) and “Cougar” (3.2). NBC was third with a 2.7 for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” CBS fourth with a 2.4 for a “Criminal Minds” rerun, Univision fifth with a 1.7 for “Sortilegio” and CW sixth with a 0.7 for a repeat of “Vampire Diaries.”

Fox was first again at 10 p.m. with a 5.9 for more baseball, with CBS second with a 2.2 for a repeat of “CSI: NY.” ABC was third with a 1.8 for “Eastwick,” NBC fourth with a 1.5 for “The Jay Leno Show” and Univision fifth with a 1.1 for “Don Francisco Presenta.”

Fox also led the night among households with a 10.9 average overnight rating and a 7 share. CBS was second at 5.6/9, ABC third at 4.1/7, NBC fourth at 3.8/6, Univision fifth at 2.0/3 and CW sixth at 1.6/3.



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