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Fox wins with game
six of the ALCS

Averages a 5.2 in 18-49s as Yankees clinch a spot

By Toni Fitzgerald
Oct 26, 2009

The final game of the American League Championship Series swatted a home run for Fox.

The New York Yankees' victory averaged a 5.2 adults 18-49 rating from 8:17 p.m. to 12:03 a.m., according to early Nielsen data, up 49 percent over the network's last LCS game six in 2007 and boosting Fox to No. 1 for the night.

The game also averaged 15.5 million total viewers, up from 11.2 million two years ago.

It capped a successful six-game series for Fox, which saw gains over last year. The network says it has now moved to No. 1 on the season with a 3.3 average, the earliest it has ever held that position.

The Yankees will face the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, which begins Wednesday night.

Thanks to sports, Fox was first for the night among 18-49s in primetime with a 5.5 average overnight rating and a 14 share. NBC was second at 4.2/11, ABC third at 3.3/8, CBS fourth at 2.2/6 and Univision fifth at 1.1/2.

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.

Ratings for Fox’s ALCS coverage and football overrun and NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” are approximate as fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program data.

At 7 p.m. Fox was first with a 7.8 for NFL overrun and its “The OT” postgame show, followed by ABC with a 2.3 for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” CBS was third with a 2.1 for “60 Minutes,” NBC fourth with a 2.0 for “Football Night in America” and Univision fifth with a 1.0 for a Mexican league soccer game.

Fox led again at 8 p.m. with a 5.3 for the ALCS, with NBC second with a 4.5 for NFL pregame and the start of “Sunday Night Football.” CBS was third with a 3.2 for “The Amazing Race,” ABC fourth with a 2.9 for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and Univision fifth with a 0.9 for the end of soccer and the start of “Viva el Sueño.”

At 9 p.m. NBC was first with a 5.5 for football, with Fox second with a 4.7 for baseball. ABC was third with a 4.6 for “Desperate Housewives,” CBS fourth with a 1.8 for “Three Rivers” and Univision fifth with a 0.7 for more “Sueño.”

NBC was on top at 10 p.m. with a 4.9 for football, followed by Fox with a 4.4 for baseball. ABC was third with a 3.3 for “Brothers & Sisters,” CBS fourth with a 1.7 for “Cold Case” and Univision fifth with a 0.6 for the end of “Sueño” and “Lucero: Una Vida de Novela.”

Fox also led the night among households with a 9.4 average overnight rating and a 15 share. ABC and NBC tied for second at 6.7/11, with CBS fourth at 6.3/10 and Univision fifth at 1.1/2.

Toni Fitzgerald is a staff writer for Media Life.	© 2010 Media Life Magazine

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