Though the 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony took place quite smoothly on Sunday night, FOX‘s broadcast of Game 7 of the World Series came out the big winner in the preliminary ratings.
An estimated 40 million people tuned in to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ first World Series victory, compared to the Emmys‘ estimated 17 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research reported. Game 7’s ratings were the highest for any baseball game since 1991’s World Series Game 7 between the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins.
“This is the first time since the 1970s that the Emmys have not been on in August or September,” CBS spokesman Ed Harrison said. “[The Emmys] have never faced this kind of competition.”
In a surprise move, FOX displayed Emmy results at the bottom of the screen during Game 7.
