People continue to check out of the World Series, with Game 2 setting the record for lowest TV ratings in the history of the Fall Classic.
Game 2 of the World Series match-up between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers averaged a 4.0 rating and 8.15 million viewers on FOX on Saturday night, making it the lowest-rated and least-watched World Series game on record, according to Sports Media Watch. It fell below Game 1’s rating of 4.6 and 9.17 million viewers.
The previous low was the pandemic-era match up between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, which drew a 4.3 rating and 8.34 million viewers. Sports Media Watch has a nice breakdown of the history of World Series ratings here.
The falling ratings are a result of the lack of big market Major League Baseball teams in contention — think the Dodgers or Yankees — and a dearth of big name stars.
Sports Media Watch noted that Game 2 of last year’s series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros drew a 5.3 rating and 10.79 million viewers.
While the World Series ratings are in decline, Saturday’s game remained the top-rated sporting event that day despite a busy day of college football.