The World Series was as big a winner for Fox as it was for the Arizona
Diamondbacks. The seven-game series gave Fox an easy win for the week,
with Game 7 heading the Nielsen top-ten list.
Fox averaged a 13.4 rating
and a 21 share for the week, well ahead of second-place CBS, which
scored an 8.6/14. NBC was third, with an 8.6/14, despite the fact that
it placed second on the Nielsen list with Friends and third with
E.R. ABC was far behind in fourth place with a 6.3/10.
Analysts predicted Tuesday the World Series telecasts could do
much to lift the network’s revenue and ratings for its other programs.
They pointed out that the additional games for this year’s series
allowed Fox to boost rates to advertisers — some said that Fox was
charging $300,000 per spot for Games 6 and 7– and enabled it to run
promotions for its other programs during the games themselves.
“The
momentum from (this year’s) World Series has been really good for the
company,” ABN Amro analyst Spencer Wang told Bloomberg News. However,
the critically acclaimed 24, which received numerous plugs during
the World Series telecasts, managed only a fourth-place finish in the
ratings Tuesday night, drawing a 7.5/11. By contrast, the season
premiere of NYPD Blue on ABC delivered an 11.2/17, while NBC and
CBS tied for second with an average 8.3/12 for the 9:00 hour.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1.
World Series Game 7, Fox, 23.5/34; 2. Friends, NBC, 16.8/25; 3.
E.R., NBC, 16.3/26; 4. World Series Game 4, Fox, 15.8/27; 5.
World Series Game 3, Fox, 15.4/24; 6. CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation, CBS, 14.5/21; 7. World Series Game 5, Fox, 14.4/24;
8. Friends (rerun), NBC, 14/20; 9. World Series Game 6, Fox,
13.8/24; 10. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 13.1/19.
