Dramatic Game 6 Draws Most World Series Viewers Since ‘09

The theatrics of Game 6, in which the St. Louis Cardinals twice rallied from behind to beat the Texas Rangers and force a seventh game, helped pull in the best World Series overnight television rating in two years.

The 11-inning game Thursday night received a 13.8 overnight Nielsen rating, the highest World Series rating since the final game of the 2009 World Series received a 15.5 overnight rating. The 2009 Series, which featured the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, far outweighed this year’s matchup in terms of market size.

Thursday’s game was the highest-rated World Series game not involving the Yankees or Boston Red Sox since 2005, when the game that clinched the Series for the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros received a 14.8.

The Cardinals’ win drew a 49.4 in St. Louis, while 82 percent of all those with televisions turned on were watching in the game's final 30 minutes. The game received a 47.1 rating in Dallas.

The overnight rating represents the percentage of households with televisions tuned to a program.

In the final innings of Thursday night’s game, the Cardinals were down to their final strike on two separate occasions. There was an uptick in viewership as the game reached extra innings.

Friday night's Game 7 will be televised on FOX, which, like the FOX Business Network, is owned by News Corp. (NASDAQ:NWSA).