Wow at the Ws beating every primetime NFL game the last 13 months. Baseball is back.
Game 1 of the Cubs/Indians World Series had a 12.6 overnight rating on FOX Tuesday night, up 20% from Mets/Royals last year (10.5), up 58% from Giants/Royals in 2014 (8.0) and the highest overnight for a World Series opener since Phillies/Yankees in 2009 (13.8). The previous high over that span was last years 10.5.
The 12.6 is the second-highest for any World Series game over the past five years, behind only Giants/Royals Game 7 in 2014 (15.2). It even edged the Red Sox last clincher, their Game 6 win over the Cardinals in 2013 (12.5).
The 12.6 also topped every primetime NFL telecast over the past month (13 total), since Bears/Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 3.
Cleveland led all markets with a 46.5 rating, off a point from Indians/Marlins Game 1 in 1997 (47.5) but well ahead of the Cavaliers three NBA Finals openers a 36.0 this year, a 41.4 in 2015, and a 34.3 in 2007. Local ratings for the competing Knicks/Cavaliers NBA season opener were not immediately available.
In Chicago, Game 1 had a 34.1 rating up 2% from Game 1 of White Sox/Astros in 2005 (33.5), the last time a local team played in the World Series. By comparison, the Bears last Super Bowl had a 50.2 in the market, the Bulls last NBA Finals opener had a 47.2, and the Blackhawks last Stanley Cup Final opener had a 28.0.