TV ratings for Game 1 of World Series rise to 14.4 million viewers
The World Series is looking solid in the television ratings so far, at least compared with last year.
Wednesday night’s Game 1, in which the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-1, drew an average of 14.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen, up 18% compared to last year’s comparable game.
The Fox telecast drew also drew a household rating of 8.6, up 13% from last year.
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But keep in mind the 2012 World Series, a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers by the San Francisco Giants, was the least-watched Fall Classic ever.
The first game of the 2011 series drew roughly 14.2 million viewers, while the 2010 opener brought in a little more than 15 million.
Viewership for the Wednesday night blowout peaked at 16.3 million viewers at 9:30 p.m.
No surprise, Boston was the highest-rated market, with a 39.7, followed by St. Louis with a 36.
The second game begins Thursday at 5:07 p.m. Pacific time.
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