LOS ANGELES — The World Series drew a larger television audience than “Monday Night Football,” showcasing its popularity among viewers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series, capturing an average of 13.64 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, and streaming platforms, based on preliminary Nielsen data. This figure surpassed the 13.4 million viewers who watched the Pittsburgh Steelers triumph over the New York Giants with a score of 26-18 on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, and their streaming services.
The peak audience for the Yankees versus Dodgers matchup hit 14.25 million between 9:00 and 9:15 p.m. EDT. This marked the highest viewership for a Game 3 since 2018, when a thrilling 18-inning contest between the Dodgers and the Red Sox averaged 13.3 million viewers.
For Fox, this event was the most-watched prime time broadcast on a Monday since Game 5 of the 2013 World Series, which drew 14.45 million viewers.
This marks the ninth Monday night World Series game since 1986, but only the fourth to compete directly with “Monday Night Football” on network television. Last year was notable as it was the first time the NFL outperformed the Fall Classic on a Monday evening. The third game of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks received a record-low average of 8.13 million viewers, contrasted with the 15.2 million who watched Detroit’s 26-14 win over Las Vegas that same night on ESPN and ABC.
Overall, the World Series has averaged 14.42 million viewers through three games, the highest for the series in seven years.
The game’s ratings indicate a strong local following, with a 20.0 rating and a 52 share in the Los Angeles market, while New York recorded an 11.6 rating and a 29 share.
Ratings display the percentage of television households that are tuned in, whereas shares reflect the percentage of the actual audience watching at that moment.