Game 1 of Fox’s Fall Classic wasn’t exactly a “classic” — at least not as far as Nielsen is concerned.
Last night’s Los Angeles Dodgers home win over the Houston Astros averaged 15 million total viewers on Fox. FS1, Fox Deportes and FSGO chipped in another 500,000 audience members in terms of 9-inning averages.
That’s a pretty big number to look at, sure, but this year’s broadcast sum actually sunk 23 percent from 2016’s 19.4 million viewers. It’s all about the matchup, kids.
Last year, Major League Baseball had a can’t-lose storyline going: the eventual champion Chicago Cubs hadn’t won a World Series since 1908, and the Cleveland Indians hadn’t taken home the trophy since 1948. The best-of-seven series did not disappoint, going the distance and capturing the country.
It’s just not the same this time around — especially after the New York Yankees and their No. 1 media market in the country were eliminated from the postseason. Good stuff for the deserving city of Houston, a tough break for MLB and Fox.
The Dodgers won 3-1 last night on the arm of ace Clayton Kershaw (pictured above) and a big homer off Justin Turner’s bat.
Game 1 wasn’t the only game in town on Tuesday — read the rest of broadcast’s primetime ratings here.