| That seven-game series got an 11
A ratings point represents 1,084,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 108 1 rating on Fox â€â€? the highest for an LCS game since Philadelphia's Game 6 win over Atlanta in 1993 got a 17
"We're not hanging our heads here
After the dramatic, seven-game NLCS victory over the Cubs, the network figures, Florida has become enough of a known quantity to draw viewers
And with both championship series extending to seven games, audiences have had a chance to become familiar with the players on each team
"In the process of losing, what the Cubs did was show the rest of the nation how good the Florida Marlins are," Fox analyst Tim McCarver said
"This run is going to continue," Goren said
The Yankees' 6-5 11-inning win over the Red Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS on Thursday night got a 17 4 million TV homes "I think the Marlins play very exciting baseball, and I think the tune-in is going to be much higher than it has been the last five years
The upstart Marlins were virtually anonymous when the playoffs began; then they knocked off Barry Bonds' San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs "
Thanks to a run of close games and exciting series, the ratings for the first two rounds of the playoffs were the highest since 1999
Instead, the network will depend on the national appeal of the New York Yankees and newfound interest in the Florida Marlins to generate TV ratings during the Fall Classic 9 rating, the lowest ever for a World Series We're looking forward to a great World Series," Fox Sports president Ed Goren said 4 5 billion, six year-contract baseball, has nowhere to go but up from last season's World Series between Anaheim and San Francisco Fox Aims to Build on High Playoff Ratings
Oct 17, 5:05 PM EST
With the Cubs and Red Sox gone, Fox Sports won't have the "Reverse the Curse" World Series Despite their almost annual appearance in the Series, Goren doesn't think there will be any sort of viewer fatigue As he put it: "We welcome all Yankee-haters to tune in
That strong lead-in to the World Series is a big reason behind Fox's confidence "
"You think for a moment that we're not going to win next week? We're on a roll "
Fox, in the third year of a $2
The Yankees provide a familiar name to the World Series and happen to play in the country's largest TV market 7, up 65 percent from last year
The average for both championship series was a 10
Fox executives bristle at the suggestion that Florida's appearance in the World Series is a disappointment
"A lot of people who had never even heard of the team are now very familiar with how they play," said Neal Pilson, a former president of CBS Sports who runs Pilson Communications Inc |