TV ratings: World Series up from last year, ‘Super Fun Night’ rises
Wednesday night’s Game One of the World Series was a strong start for the Boston Red Sox, and it looks like it was an improvement in the ratings for Fox too.
According to very approximate preliminary numbers from Nielsen, which are not adjusted for time zones, the game drew an average of about 13.7 million viewers in prime time, up 25% from last year’s early Game One numbers. In the advertiser-desired 18-49 age demographic, the game appears to be up 28%. Compared with last year’s final numbers, which increased, the game was up about 12% in total viewership and 14% in the demo.
Keep in mind that the 2012 series, a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers by the San Francisco Giants, ended up the least-watched on record.
PHOTOS: Cable versus broadcast ratings
More accurate final numbers will be out later Thursday, but it looks like Fox was the top-rated network of the night. The Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-1, taking an early lead in the Fall Classic.
In non-baseball ratings, ABC’s “Super Fun Night,” starring Rebel Wilson, increased 5% from last week’s episode to a 2.2 in 18-49, drawing 5.96 million viewers against competition from the World Series. “Modern Family,” which slipped 7% to a 3.8, was the top non-sports telecast of the night. “The Middle” fell a tick from two weeks ago to a 2.2 while the freshman comedy “Back in the Game” dropped 11% to a 1.7. “Nashville” was flat at a 2.0.
CBS was the second most-watched network, with “Criminal Minds” and “CSI” delivering their biggest audiences of the season. “Survivor” fell 12% to a 2.3 in 18-49.
On NBC, the recently canceled “Ironside” unsurprisingly lost a fifth of its young adult audience, finishing at a 0.8. “Revolution” was flat, while “Law & Order: SVU” fell 22% to a 1.4, the same rating as “Revolution.”
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