World Series TV ratings a worry for MLB

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - You can't judge a World Series by its ratings, but it's apparent many fans don't exactly consider the Royals-Giants matchup must-see TV.

The annual storyline of the national pastime losing viewership during its premier event once again cropped up this week, despite a back-and-forth Series that was pushed to seven games Tuesday night with the Royals' 10-0 victory.

Is this just something baseball has to live with from now on, or are there things the sport can to do to recapture October from football?

'There's a lot going on at this time of year,' Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. 'All the other sports are starting, or have started, and in some areas of the country (the competition is) college football.

'Baseball is not the American sport. Football is, and especially pro football, which is followed by some family member in everybody's family. But that has evolved over time. It really has nothing to do with the World Series.'

True, baseball no longer is 'the American sport' and hasn't been for years. It's not likely to overtake football in popularity for the foreseeable future. And the gap appears to be widening, especially among younger fans. The World Series ratings are just Exhibit A.

There are many theories to choose from for lackluster World Series ratings, though the late starting times and the long games are the reasons most cite. It took nearly two hours to play four innings of Game 6, which the Royals broke open with a seven-run second inning off Jake Peavy and reliever Yusmeiro Petit.

This particular Series also is lacking in star power, outside of Fox reporter Erin Andrews. Madison Bumgarner, the probable MVP if the Giants win, isn't as well-known as half the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. The Royals' key players, their three late inning relievers, are more anonymous than many NFL backup quarterbacks.

The numbers are frightening. Heading into Game 6, the Series was averaging 12.1 million viewers per game. Game 1 in Kansas City was the lowest-rated World Series opener of all time with an average of 12.2 million viewers, while Game 4 in San Francisco only drew an average of 10.7 million.

Sunday's Game 5 rose to a 12.6 million average, but still lost out to Sunday Night Football, where the Saints trounced the Packers. According to Variety, Sunday Night Football's ratings beat Game 5 by a 39 percent margin, the biggest difference since World Series games began competing against the Sunday night games on NBC in 2010.

While this year's Series has been captivating to most avid baseball fans, the rest of the country seemingly is not enamored.

'I'm smart enough to know it's not two big market teams,' Sabean said. 'I don't know what makes the viewer tick. I know Major League Baseball is worried about the sport in general — who's following it and who the next generation of viewers are — but that's something that doesn't cross my mind.'

You can believe it has crossed the minds of incoming commissioner Rob Manfred, who is taking over the ship at a critical juncture, and Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Association.

Baseball's gross revenues reached a record $8 billion last year, according to Forbes, so the sport isn't exactly dying.

But if the millennials are tuning the game out, why would the following generation suddenly start tuning in?

MLB already is experimenting with new rules in the Arizona Fall League to increase the pace of games. Whether they will enact them at the major league level remains to be seen.

Of course, closer games would have helped this World Series, but four of the first five games were decided by five or more runs. Game 6 was highly anticipated because of the possibility of a Giants' clincher, but once the Royals scored those seven second-inning runs you almost could hear America brushing its teeth and getting ready for bed.

There should be a surge in viewers for Game 7, whose main competition will be the Bulls-Knicks season opener on ESPN.

Derrick Rose vs. Carmelo Anthony, or Tim Hudson vs. Jeremy Guthrie?

You make the call.