>Game 2 of the World Series averaged a 3.7 Adult 18-49 rating in the fast nationals, down from a 3.9 fast national rating for Game 1. The official nationals rating for Game 2 should be about a 4.0 this afternoon (compared to a 4.2 for Game 1). It really is a shame because this is shaping up to be a great Series on the field. The first two games have been one-run affairs, and the series is tied one game apiece as the action shifts to Arlington, Texas on Saturday night.
Since moving to a Wednesday-Thursday format for Games 1 and 2, Game 2 has traditionally been lower rated than Game 1:
- 2007 Boston-Colorado — 5.8 Game 1, 5.3 Game 2
- 2008 Philadelphia-Tampa Bay — 4.8, 4.0
- 2009 NY Yankees-Philadelphia — 6.3, 5.8
- 2010 San Francisco-Texas — 4.7, 4.0
The Series will take another hit in Game 3, when it airs on the least-watched night of the week, Saturday. Then the ratings will jump up above Game 1 levels on widely-viewed Sunday night.
CBS was rated #2 for the night Thursday, averaging a 3.2 rating and matching last week’s number. Big Bang Theory was up week to week to a 4.9 rating (up 0.3). Rules of Engagement returned to the schedule and premiered in the 8:30 time period with a 3.7 rating, matching the Big Bang repeat last week and far exceeding the 2.5 from How to Be a Gentleman earlier this season. Person of Interest was down a tick to a 2.7, and The Mentalist was stable at a 2.5. Thursday patterns seem pretty set for CBS
Same goes for ABC. The network’s 2.4 for the night matches last week’s number. Dead Women Walking Charlie’s Angels turned in another 1.2, while Grey’s Anatomy (3.5) was down a tenth and Private Practice (2.4) was up a tenth from last week (but basically the same numbers).
NBC chose to put repeats against the second worst World Series in history. The comedy repeats ranged from a 0.9 for Community to a 1.5 for The Office. The network ran some great promos for next week’s Halloween-themed comedy block, but very few viewers were there to see the spots. Prime Suspect pulled a 0.8 repeat rating in its home time period, similar to what has done on Monday in repeats.
With NBC in repeats, The CW wasn’t able to take advantage of any available audience. Vampire Diaries was down a tenth to a 1.3, while Secret Circle was up a tenth to 0.9 — but again, basically the same numbers as the past.
