2020 World Series was least-watched of all-time

The 2020 World Series set an all-time record low in terms of average TV viewers.

Just two days after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 World Series in six games over the Tampa Bay Rays, the official TV viewership ratings have been released. Unfortunately for the MLB, this wasn’t welcoming news.

According to a tweet from Richard Deitsch from The Athletic, the entire World Series averaged 9.785 million viewers per game. This mark is good for a new record low in terms of average TV viewership per game.

Prior to 2020, the least-watched World Series occurred in 2012 between the San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers. The 2012 series averaged 12.7 million viewers per game.

Other low marks included the 2008 and 2014 World Series. In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies topped the Rays in five games. In 2014, the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. Both series averaged less than 14 million viewers per game.

One common theme from these World Series matchups is the involvement of a very small-market team. Whether it’s the Rays, Cardinals, or Tigers, this certainly plays a factor.

Additionally, it should be noted, the MLB is not the only professional sports league seeing a downward trend in TV ratings. Just a few weeks ago, the NBA hit all-time ratings’ lows during the finals. The NHL Stanley Cup recorded its lowest ratings’ mark since 2007.

Sports TV viewership and ratings are down, across the board. According to Sports Media Watch, the WNBA is the only league to see an uptick trend in ratings this year. The NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB have all suffered double-digit percentage drops.

Most experts suspect this trend is a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The temporary stoppage of sports created a backlog of sports and a cluttered TV scheduled.