Fox' Cubs-Indians Delivers Best World Series Game 1 Overnight Rating Since '09

Fox last night drew a 12.6 overnight rating for the Indians' 6-0 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series, marking the best figure for a Fall Classic opener since Phillies-Yankees drew a 13.8 in '09. Cubs-Indians Game 1 is up 20% from a 10.5 for the Royals-Mets opener last year (14 innings), and up 58% from an 8.0 for Giants-Royals in '14. Each of those games aired on a Tuesday night. The game last night will give Fox a win among all networks in primetime. Cleveland-Akron led all markets with a 46.5 local rating. The market had competition from TNT's Knicks-Cavaliers on the NBA's Opening Night (9.1 local rating). Chicago drew a 34.1 local rating for the World Series opener ( Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor ).

THEY GOT THEIR WISH : On Long Island, Neil Best writes Indians-Cubs has Fox "poised for a ratings bonanza -- at least by the Fall Classic's modest recent standards." If the World Series goes six or seven games, it "could be the first" since Red Sox-Cardinals in '04 to average more than 20 million viewers ( NEWSDAY, 10/26 ). Two media observers spoke via email with THE DAILY and gave their audience expectations for the World Series. The Trager Group Chair Mike Trager said the Cubs' involvement "rivals the Red Sox situation" from '04, but it is "hard to measure the impact with viewing patterns changing and the fall off in viewing so far this year." Pilson Communications President Neal Pilson also noted it is "hard to compare to ratings from 12 years ago" and year-to-year measurement "makes more sense." Pilson said of viewership for last year's five-game Royals-Mets series, "This year should be better if we get a six- or seven-game series" ( THE DAILY ).

DYNAMIC DUO : YAHOO SPORTS' Mike Oz wrote viewers have seen Fox MLB analyst Alex Rodriguez "transform before our eyes" throughout the MLB Postseason, as he has been "showing the baseball-watching world a new side." Oz: "He's smart. He's insightful. He pokes fun at himself. And perhaps most amazingly, he doesn't come off like a guy who was the most controversial player in MLB for a decade. He's -- dare we say it? -- likable." Meanwhile, fellow analyst Pete Rose is a "scene stealer in his own ways." Rose is "more like a wind-up toy, armed with hot takes, pointed in the direction of the audience and let go." Oz: "He's spontaneous. He's zany. He rags on his co-hosts. And not amazingly at all, he has almost zero filter. He, too, is likable." The pairing of Rodriguez and Rose "seems like a live TV trainwreck waiting to happen." But when Fox put Rodriguez, Rose, Frank Thomas and Kevin Burkhardt together again this year, it "changed from a possible trainwreck to the type of live TV where you tune in to see what’s going to happen next" ( SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/25 ).

TWITTER REAX ON GAME 1 :   CBS Sports'  Dane Brugler : "Enjoyed FOX's play-by-play tonight. Buck and Smoltz are very good. Rosenthal and Verducci are both really plugged in. What the WS should be." Vice Sports'  Rob Neyer : "Whichever Fox executive gave us this two-man booth deserves a Lifetime Emmy or something." The Boston Globe's  Ben Volin : "Really bummed we couldn’t get Bob Uecker or Will Farrell as Harry Carey in the Fox booth tonight." ESPN Cleveland's  Tony Grossi : "Party pooper Fox brings up the Browns" ( TWITTER.com, 10/25 ).

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK : In Chicago, Robert Channick notes Braves TV play-by-play man Chip Caray, who called Cubs games from '98-'04, is "doing pregame and postgame coverage" for Chicago-based WFLD-Fox during the World Series. Caray, the grandson of legendary Cubs announcer Harry Caray, joined the net's Lou Canellis and Bob Dernier on set ( CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/26 ).