This year’s World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros went seven games but finished as the third-least viewed.
The Series averaged 13.91 million viewers, Nielsen said Thursday, down 1.3% from 14.1 million last year for Boston’s five-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first title in the 51-year history of the Nationals-Montreal Expos franchise averaged an 8.1 rating and 16 share.
The lowest-rated Series remains 2012, when San Francisco’s sweep of Detroit averaged a 7.6 rating and 12.64 million viewers. Philadelphia’s five-game win over Tampa Bay in 2008 averaged 13.19 million.
The Nationals 6-2 victory in Game 7 on Wednesday night averaged 23,013,000 viewers according to Nielsen. That’s down 18.5% from the 28.42 million average for the 2017 Game 7 between the Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Wednesday’s viewership peaked at 27.1 million during the final inning. That’s viewership numbers are on par with the 23.52 million that watched San Francisco’s Game 7 victory Kansas City in 2014.
Fox said postseason games on Fox and FS1 averaged 7.84 million, a 12% increase from last year. Fox and FS1 had the American League Division and Championship Series, which has been the more-viewed of the two leagues in recent years.
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