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Rangers-Diamondbacks Is Least-Watched World Series Ever

  • The 2023 World Series cumulatively averaged 9.11 million viewers, surpassing 2020 (9.95M) as the least-watched World Series on record.
  • The four least-watched World Series of all time have been the last four.
General view of the stadium in the first inning of the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers in game five of the 2023 World Series at Chase Field.
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

After very underwhelming viewership through four games, the World Series finished stronger — but it wasn’t enough to prevent the 2023 edition from being the least-watched ever.

The Texas Rangers 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday night averaged 11.45 million viewers on Fox — the most-watched game of the Series, but still a 10% decrease in viewership from 2022’s Game 5 and only ranking above 2020 as the least-watched Game 5 of all time, per SportsMediaWatch.

With that number accounted for, the 2023 World Series averaged 9.11 million viewers, surpassing 2020 (9.95M) as the least-watched World Series on record.

That series-long viewership was a 23% decline from Astros-Phillies in 2022 — but all the same, the four least-watched World Series of all time have been the last four.

Game 2 on Saturday broke the record (8.15M) for the least-watched World Series game ever — only for Game 3 to set the new record (8.13M) two nights later.

Still, for all of the doom and gloom, the 2023 World Series was a major pro sports championship and was television’s most-watched show each night it was on, except Game 3, which competed with “Monday Night Football.”

Despite tangible viewership benefits this regular season from high-profile rule changes, MLB could not figure out how to translate that success to the Postseason: The playoffs as a whole averaged 4.45 million viewers across Fox Sports, TBS, and ESPN — an 8% decrease from last year (4.86M).

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