TV Ratings: Wednesday viewers are fanatical about Phillies-Yankees

World Series dominates ratings for FOX, while 'Modern Family' and 'Cougar Town' are up for ABC

Thursday, Oct 29, 2009 11:45 AM

Daniel Fienberg

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TV Ratings: Wednesday viewers are fanatical about Phillies-Yankees

Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies

Credit: David J. Phillip/AP

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009.

"Glee" viewers may have been disappointed to tune into FOX on Wednesday night, but millions of baseball fans were thrilled to catch Game One of the World Series between Philadelphia and New York. FOX had no trouble controlling the Wednesday ratings race in all key measures.

Among adults 18-49, FOX averaged a 5.7 rating, far ahead of second place ABC's 2.5 rating in the key demographic. CBS and NBC tied for third with a 2.1 rating, while The CW's 1.2 rating trailed.

Overall, FOX averaged an estimated 17.77 million viewers to go with a 10.8/17, nearly doubling up the 5.6/9 for second place CBS. ABC's 4.1/7 was good for third, while NBC's 3.9/6 was fourth. The CW took fifth with a 1.6/3.

The start of the game between the Phillies and Yankees did a 10.9/17 for FOX in in the 8 p.m. hour. CBS was second with repeats of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Gary Unmarried." ABC's second reairing of "It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and a new "The Middle" averaged a 3.8/6 and even though "Great Pumpkin" had previously aired once already this week, it still drew more viewers and a better demo number than last week's new episode of "Hank." NBC got a 3.3/5 for a "Monsters vs. Aliens" holiday special. The CW's "America's Next Top Model" delivered its best ratings for the season with a 2.3/4 and a 1.6 demo rating.

The World Series game kept FOX in first at 9 p.m. with a 10.7/16. CBS' "Criminal Minds" repeat was second with a 6.3/10. ABC's "Modern Family" (5.5/8) and "Cougar Town" (4.8/7) tied with NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" for third overall, but averaged a 3.4 rating to finish second in the demo. The CW aired an encore of "The Vampire Diaries."

With FOX's totals not coming into play in the 10 p.m. hour, CBS won with a 6.2/10 for a "CSI: NY" repeat. ABC's "Eastwick" and NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" tied with a 3.3/5 (though "Eastwick" was ahead in total viewers and the 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, particularly in the case of live events.