Overnight Ratings Show Denver Tops in TV Audience for Game 7

Overnight ratings for Game 7 of the World Series showed a city without major league baseball registering the greatest number of viewers.

Denver’s 36.5 rating and 50 share were the highest numbers recorded in the 15-city overnight ratings according to ABC, which receives the complete figures today.

The seventh and deciding game won by the Minnesota Twins over the St. Louis Cardinals drew a 29.1 rating and a 43 share in the 15-city composite. Game 6 Saturday, also won by Minnesota, drew a 19.9 rating and a 43 share.

The numbers, as expected, were lower because of the smaller markets involved in the Series. The first game’s 19.2 rating and 35 share were the smallest ever in prime time.

While the numbers could change when the entire country is taken into account, it is unlikely they will change significantly.

The highest-rated seventh game in history was last year’s finale between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox on NBC, which drew a 38.9 rating and a 55 share. Right behind was NBC’s 1982 telecast of Game 7, won by St. Louis over the Milwaukee Brewers. That drew a 38.2 rating and a 56 share.

While Denver drew the biggest numbers, Boston and Atlanta, cities with major league franchises, posted the smallest overnight numbers. Atlanta drew a 24.5 rating and a 38 share, and Boston had a 24.3 rating and a 39 share.

After the low-rated first game, the numbers improved in Games 2 and 3. The numbers dipped slightly in Games 4 and 5, holding to about a 23 rating and a 39 share.

Game 6, the first to be telecast during the day in four years, had only the 19.9 rating but a 43 share.