TV Ratings: Sports Helps Fox Win Week, MLB W-S Is Off

Through the first five games, the MLB's World Series has been averaging 11.6 million viewers, reports The Associated Press citing the Nielsen data.

That puts it on pace to be the least-watched Fall Classic ever, although ratings tend to pick up when a series reaches a sixth or deciding seventh game.

The previous low point came in 2012, when an average of 12.64 million viewers watched the San Francisco Giants complete a four-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers.

Sports led Fox to an easy victory for the week in prime time, averaging 10.9 million viewers. CBS had 6.54 million viewers, NBC had 6.45 million, ABC had 4.3 million, Telemundo had 1.3 million, ION Television had 1.22 million, Univision had 1.16 million and the CW had 880,000.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 7.7 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.3 million viewers.

Compared to the same week last year, World News Tonight was -2% in total viewers, and -7% in the key A25-54 demo. NBC Nightly News was -6% in total viewers and -9% among adults 25-54. The CBS Evening News was -9% in total viewers, and -20% among adults 25-54.

⏩ Broadcast Prime-time Top 20:

1. NFL Football: Green Bay at Kansas City, NBC, 18.32 million.
2. NFL Football: Washington at Minnesota, Fox, 13.77 million.
3. World Series Game 1: Washington at Houston, Fox, 12.28 million.
4. World Series Game 3: Houston at Washington, Fox, 12.22 million.
5. World Series Game 2: Washington at Houston, Fox, 12.01 million.
6. “NFL Pregame Show,” NBC, 11.87 million.
7. World Series Game 5: Houston at Washington, Fox, 11.39m
8. “NCIS,” CBS, 11.35 million.
9. NFL Football: New England at N.Y. Jets, ESPN, 11.33 million.
10. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 11.22 million.

11. World Series Game 4: Houston at Washington, Fox, 10.22m
12. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 9.52 million.
13. “FBI,” CBS, 8.88 million.
14. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 8.67 million.
15. “NFL Pregame Show,” Fox, 8.3 million.
16. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 8.08 million.
17. “The Voice” (Monday) NBC, 8.05 million.
18. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 7.88 million.
19. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 7.84 million.
20. “This is Us,” NBC, 7.07 million.

Fox News Channel was the week’s most-watched cable network, averaging 2.44 million viewers in prime time. ESPN had 2.38 million viewers, MSNBC had 1.8 million, TLC had 1.21 million and TNT had 1.04 million.

For the month of October, Fox News was the most-watched basic cable network in total day viewers (1.5 million), marking consecutive 40 months at No. 1 in the daypart.

In addition to finished No. 1 in the cable landscape among total viewers, FNC ranked ahead of CNN and MSNBC in total day demo, (243,000 vs. 190,000 vs. 180,000). In prime time, FNC averaged 406,000 adults 25-54, topping MSNBC’s 327,000 and beating CNN’s 328,000 including its October Democratic primary debate.