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NFL Dominates World Series Viewership
30 Oct
Summary
- NFL Week 7 game viewership exceeded World Series Game 3.
- World Series Game 3 viewership was 8.33 million.
- NFL historically avoided World Series competition.
The National Football League's regular-season games are now drawing significantly larger audiences than the World Series. A recent Week 7 matchup between the Cowboys and Eagles garnered 18.8 million viewers. This figure dramatically outpaced the viewership for Game 3 of the World Series, which attracted only 8.33 million viewers, marking it as one of the least-watched World Series games in history.
Historically, the NFL recognized the World Series' dominance and strategically avoided direct competition. This included moving Monday Night Football to Thursdays in the 1970s and avoiding Sunday night games before 2010. Today, the dynamic has reversed, with baseball's championship series facing immense pressure from the NFL's consistent viewership.
The current trend suggests that Major League Baseball should consider scheduling World Series games on days and times less likely to conflict with NFL broadcasts. This might involve Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. However, with the NFL's expanding schedule, even these days may eventually face competition, indicating a complete reversal of their historical competitive relationship.
