Game 1 least-watched World Series game in recorded history

LOS ANGELES — The thrilling extra-inning comeback victory by the Texas Rangers over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night may have been an epic battle on the field, but it turned out to be the least-watched Game 1 in the history of the World Series on TV.

The 6-5 win for the Rangers, which required 11 innings to complete, attracted an average of 9.35 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, and Fox’s streaming service. This figure fell below the previous record low of 9.48 million set in 2020 when the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Tampa Bay Rays amid the pandemic—ironically in Arlington, Texas.

According to Nielsen data, the telecast on Fox averaged 9.17 million viewers. Remarkably, this game marks only the sixth time in World Series history that a game failed to surpass the 10 million viewers mark. The other instances include the first four games in 2020 and Game 3 in 2008 featuring the Tampa Bay Rays against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Calculations on average viewer ratings have been conducted since at least 1969, highlighting the significance of this historic low in viewership for Game 1.

The viewership for Friday’s game experienced a 20% decline compared to last year’s first game, which attracted 11.48 million viewers and featured the Philadelphia Phillies against the Houston Astros.

Baseball enthusiasts and stakeholders may view this news as a minor setback for the sport, especially considering that the league championship series round witnessed the highest viewership since 2018. The excitement of two Game 7s, a rarity in a full season since 2004, contributed to a 7% increase in overall postseason ratings compared to the previous year.

Despite its declining viewership, the World Series was still the most-watched event on television during Friday night, surpassing other popular shows. For instance, an episode of “The Price is Right” recorded an average of 3.01 million viewers.

However, the least-watched World Series game title remains with Game 3 in 2020, which only managed to attract an average of 8.34 million viewers.