TV Ratings: FOX dominates Wednesday with Yankees' World Series clincher

From 'Criminal Minds' to 'Cougar Town,' baseball takes a bite out of Wednesday competition

Thursday, Nov 5, 2009 12:44 PM

Daniel Fienberg

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TV Ratings: FOX dominates Wednesday with Yankees' World Series clincher

Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees

Credit: Elise Amendola/AP

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, November 4, 2009.

The World Series is now over, which is good news for the New York Yankees and bad news for FOX. The Yankees closed out the Phillies in six games on Wednesday night, depriving FOX of the ratings that would have come from a Game Seven.

But at least FOX got one last night of ratings domination out of the postseason baseball.

Among adults 18-49, FOX averaged a 7.0 rating. CBS was a distant second with a 2.7 rating, followed by the 2.1 rating for ABC and NBC's 1.8 rating in the key demographic. The CW trailed with a 1.2 rating.

Overall, FOX averaged an estimated 22.02 million viewers to go with a 13.1 rating/20 share. That more-than-doubled the 6.5/10 for CBS, which averaged only 10. 15 million viewers. NBC's 4.3/7 and the 3.9/6 for ABC followed. The CW was fifth with a 1.8/3.

The first hour of FOX's World Series coverage at 8 p.m. gave FOX a 13.2/21 overall and a 6.9 rating in the demo. CBS was miles back in second with a 4.5/7 for "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Gary Unmarried." NBC's "Mercy" drooped to a 4.3/7, beating the 3.7/6 for ABC's "Hank" and "The Middle." The CW's "America's Next Top Model" continued its end-of-the-season rise with a 2.6/4 and delivered a 1.7 rating in the key demo, tying with ABC and NBC for third.

FOX stayed first in the 9 p.m. hour with a 13.1/20 for the baseball coverage. CBS' "Criminal Minds" was second with a 7.5/12, followed by the 5.4/8 for NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." ABC's "Modern Family" (5.2/8) and "Cougar Town" (4.4/7) were both on the low side, particularly "Cougar Town," which slipped to a 2.7 rating in the key demo. The CW's "Vampire Diaries" encore was fifth.

CBS moved into first at 10 p.m. with a 7.5/13 for "CSI: NY," on the low side since the World Series was still in progress. ABC's "Eastwick" and NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" tied with a 3.2/5 (advantage NBC in viewers, ABC in the 18-49 demo).

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.