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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:10 pm EDT

Yankees impact? World Series ratings up 29 percent from '08

By 'Duk

The early ratings are in and you might be able to expect a little more blatant Yankees boosterism from Fox tonight.

After a five-year period of slumping numbers, the amount of American televisions tuned into the World Series soared Wednesday. I would surmise that news obviously put network execs in the position of hoping this matchup between two teams with huge fanbases will turn into an extended series and not end with a quick Phillies sweep.

From The Associated Press:

"Game 1 on Wednesday earned an 11.9 fast national rating and 19 share. That's up 29 percent from the opener last year, when the Phillies-Rays series drew record-low ratings.

"Fox said Thursday it's the second-best Game 1 rating this decade, trailing only Red Sox-Cardinals in 2004. It's also the best rating for a non-decisive World Series matchup since Game 3 that year."

It's funny. Everyone outside of New York and Boston pitches fits over how no one wants to watch the Yankees and Red Sox that much and yet the only recent World Series to post any great numbers have involved both those teams.

Of course, it also raises an interesting debate. Are the numbers that way because those are the only two teams anyone wants to watch? Or has ESPN and FOX conditioned the American public — the people who don't consume baseball actively during the regular season — into believing that those are the only two teams worth tuning in for? I'd say it's a little of both.

Related: BallMedia, 2009 postseason on the Stew, 2009 World Series on the Stew

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64 Comments

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  1. Saro G
    1. Posted by Saro G Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:34 pm EDT

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    Tampa metro: 2.7 M
    New York metro: 18.8 M
  2. Coach Isiah Thompson
    2. Posted by Coach Isiah Thompson Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:42 pm EDT

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    One possible reason why World Series television viewer ratings are up 29% from 2009 can be summed up in four words......."Easy squeezy, lemon peasy"!
  3. Coach Isiah Thompson
    3. Posted by Coach Isiah Thompson Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:42 pm EDT

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    correction.....2008
  4. Bryan V
    4. Posted by Bryan V Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:47 pm EDT

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    C'mon yankee haters, find a way to twist this into something negative about NY. Oblivious to the fact that your very post will embody the entire point of the article.
  5. WilliamH
    5. Posted by WilliamH Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:56 pm EDT

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    waldman is an awful announcer so she's also the first really really awful female broadcaster to announce a WS game
  6. Brian P
    6. Posted by Brian P Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:58 pm EDT

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    Post #4: I'll bet there are a lot of people who tune in hoping to see the Yankees lose.
  7. Duk
    7. Posted by 'Duk Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:07 pm EDT

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    That may be, Saro G. I'd be interested in seeing a market-by-market breakdown of the ratings to see the year over year change.
  8. baseball_manifesto
    8. Posted by baseball_manifesto Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:48 pm EDT

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    I think the ratings are up for 2 reasons: People want to see the Phils try and repeat and the start time was pushed up an hour. I work really early in the mornings and was pleasantly surprised to get to watch a whole game and still be in bed before 11.
  9. beerlover
    9. Posted by beerlover Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:27 pm EDT

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    I watched game 1 and will watch any other games with Lee and CC starting, and only those games. I'm a masochistic Indians fan.
  10. D
    10. Posted by D Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:41 pm EDT

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    More people still like the Red Sox.
  11. Bob T
    11. Posted by Bob T Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:55 pm EDT

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    Who cares???
    Hankies and Pillies....
    Who cares.........
  12. Johnny
    12. Posted by Johnny Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:10 pm EDT

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    Go watch Nascar or a snowboarding video or take another picture of your neighbors bike, big guy.
    Go Phillies!!
  13. plushmike
    13. Posted by plushmike Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:26 pm EDT

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    I guess this means New Yorkers only watch the World Series if the Yankees are involved (can't gauge the Mets since they never hit the post-season). Bogus, as usual. And, I don't care what you say about this...GO DODGERS!!!!
  14. mariesazoe
    14. Posted by mariesazoe Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:39 pm EDT

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    Who's your daddy peoples? that is right!!!!!!! Go NY YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :D :p :o
  15. bikedad_99
    15. Posted by bikedad_99 Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:50 pm EDT

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    The ratings might be up, but it sure isn't because of the announcers. Tim McCarver needs to get a life!!!!! Joe Buck needs to go back to football. I liked it better when the playoffs were on TBS.
  16. fordfrank86
    16. Posted by fordfrank86 Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    Damn Duk' is dumb!
  17. bubba0123
    17. Posted by bubba0123 Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:52 pm EDT

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    Who cares. They havent had my support since the 1994 strike.
  18. dtwguy
    18. Posted by dtwguy Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:36 pm EDT

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    does anyone really care who wins? I love watchin these old ass umps blow calls like its a softball game, this is pathetic.
  19. MattM
    19. Posted by MattM Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:41 pm EDT

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    #16 is right on the money. I can not STAND Joe Buck. He exaggerates so badly. And Tim McCarver is just as bad.
  20. Eric
    20. Posted by Eric Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:02 am EDT

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    I dont think Yankee are the best. But entertainment wise they are..........
    Even seeing A.Rod choke is an excitement in itself..........
    Or seeing Yanks choke against Redsox.............
    I still like them..................
    I will only watch yankees because I starting watching baseball back in 2000 when ESPN will mostly show Yankees game.
  21. mad mouse
    21. Posted by mad mouse Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:11 am EDT

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    Start spreadin' - da neeeewz.....
  22. psychoICON
    22. Posted by psychoICON Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:31 am EDT

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    The south and west have higher college die-hard fans...in new york and philly, with the exception of seton hall bball and the occasional rutgers run aka 2006...no one gives a crap about college sports so your gunna have more die-hards...plus there are yankee fans EVERYWHERE....# 11 don't know what he's talking about, Yankees set records in NL parks they go too because of the draw....the pirates set a 3game record with 150,000+ it just so happens the Yanks were in town...the redsox sell out everygame cuz your ballpark has 36,000 seats...we averaged 48,000....theres more florida gator fans than tampa bay ray fans thats why last year was a disater...DREAM match-up for FOX and MLB...these are really the two best teams...no fluk this year...CHUCH!!
  23. Andy P
    23. Posted by Andy P Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:01 am EDT

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    Of course the networks want eastern teams in the WS. It's always been that way. I personally watch the WS every year even if I don't have a vested interest in who wins. I just want a good series. So far its been a great series. 1-1
    BTW, I'm a Twins fan, and I don't like how the playoffs are being pushed into November. That does not bode well for teams playing in northern climates. Major league Baseball is taking a gamble with this stretching out of the season
  24. Mark B
    24. Posted by Mark B Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:29 am EDT

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    Said it before, folks - pitching will tell the story in this series - pitching, and defense. The homers are big, and may turn out to be the straw that stirs the highlight reels, but it's the pitching that will define this series.
    Look at how Lee completely dominated the Yanks with what seemed like so little effort (I'm a Yankee fan, folks).
    Even with CC pitching pretty well, our bullpen closed the door on our chances by allowing four runs (CC only allowed two, and it might have turned out differently, had we been down 2-zip and that ninth inning was not a 3-out need to get six runs).
    Burnett did it today - best he's been all year - shows he's coming around. Andy closed out the Angels in style.
    CC will pitch well again - he has all year and all post-season; and, this time the motivational factor will be greater for my him, and my Yankees.
    AND GIRARDI DID WHAT I TOLD HIM TO IN MY LAST BLOG - DUMP SWISHER! HIS NO-HIT SUB HAIRSTON GOT A HIT AND WAS IN ON THE ACTION IN HIS FIRST WS APPEARANCE (AT LEAST, THIS YEAR). KEEP SWISHER OUT, UNTIL HIS MIND STARTS TO CONTROL HIS BODY - THE GUY ONLY THINKS HOME RUNS, AND NOT GETTING ON OR MOVING RUNNERS UP OR DRIVING THEM IN. (and that dumb smile of his, even when he strikes out is driving me nuts!)
    Well, folks - we've got ourselves a series, after all! GO YANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Big League Stew is an MLB blog edited by Kevin Kaduk. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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