Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers had a dramatic finish, but it was also the least-watched World Series Game 1 on record. Despite the excitement on the field, the game failed to attract a large audience. Here’s what you need to know about the low viewership and its implications.
The game, which saw the Rangers win 6-5 after Adolis García’s walk-off homer in the 11th inning, averaged 9.172 million viewers on Fox and an additional 182,000 on Fox Deportes. It also had a 4.6 rating, which is another low according to Sports Media Watch. The previous lows were a 5.1 rating and 9.35 million viewers for Game 1 of the 2020 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers during the pandemic-impacted season.
Currently, the series is tied 1-1 as the Diamondbacks prepare to host the Rangers in Game 3 on Monday.
Why did the viewership numbers for Game 1 of the World Series hit an all-time low? Experts in sports viewership had predicted that this series would face challenges in attracting viewers even before the first pitch. The question was how low the numbers would be, and unfortunately, they turned out to be quite low. It’s important to note that this is not an attack on either team; it’s simply a reflection of their national appeal based on historic television data. The Diamondbacks and Rangers are not known for drawing large audiences unless they are playing a team with broad appeal or if the series goes into extra innings. Additionally, Game 1 was played on a Friday, which is typically one of the least-watched days of the week for linear television.
Fox, the broadcaster of the World Series, will likely point out that Game 1 won primetime among all programs. However, this is always expected and something they pay a significant amount for. To put the viewership numbers into context, Game 1 had slightly fewer viewers than the Colorado-Colorado State football game on ESPN (9.3 million viewers) and was on par with the Los Angeles Rams-Cincinnati Bengals “Monday Night Football” game last month (9 million viewers).
The real eye-opener comes when comparing the 2023 Game 1 viewership to recent Game 1 history that didn’t involve teams with large fan bases like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, or Boston Red Sox. For example, Game 1 of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals drew 16.5 million viewers. Going back nine years earlier, Game 1 between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels drew a staggering 19.26 million viewers. These numbers highlight the significant drop in viewership for this year’s Game 1.
For Fox and MLB, the hope now is that the series goes into extra innings and captures the attention of more viewers. The longer the series, the more opportunities there are to attract a larger audience. However, it’s clear that the lack of national appeal for both teams has had a significant impact on viewership.
In conclusion, Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers had the lowest viewership on record for a World Series Game 1. The lack of national appeal for both teams, combined with the game being played on a Friday, contributed to the low numbers. While this may be disappointing for Fox and MLB, they can still hope for a longer series that captures the attention of more viewers. Only time will tell if the remaining games can generate more interest and increase viewership.