2021 World Series Ratings

Below are the Nielsen ratings for the 2021 World Series. The games successfully avoided continuing the downward trend of the last few years, instead seeing a nice rise from last year. The six-game series averaged a 6.5 HH rating, up from 5.2 for the 2020 series, a 2.66 adults 18-49 rating, up slightly from 2.50 last year, and 11.74 million viewers, up from 9.79 million.

Where the series struggled though was with younger males. The 2021 series tied 2020's ratings-low in men 18-49 (3.2 rating) and logged a new low in men 18-34 (2.0), down 3 tenths from last year. On a positive note, every game this year averaged above 10 million viewers, and game 6 finished with the biggest audience (13.97 million) since 2019's game 7 (23.22 million).

In local market ratings, Atlanta slightly edged out Houston in the six-game average with a 27.8 rating, versus 25.4. Atlanta delivered its strongest numbers in game 6 (33.5/54) and beat out Houston in every game except game 2 (27.4/50 to 23.3/42). Though Houston's ratings were down significantly from the Astros' last appearances in the games (42.7/63 in 2019's game 7 loss), Atlanta was actually on par with the Braves' last appearance (34.5/46 in 1999's game 4 loss). 

2021
GAME	HOU Rating	ATL Rating	HH	A 18-49	M 18-49	M 18-34	Viewers (millions)
World Series Game 1 (Fox)	25.2	26.0	6.1	2.52	3.2	2.0	10.811
World Series Game 2 (Fox)	27.4	23.3	5.8	2.24	2.7	1.5	10.280
World Series Game 3 (Fox)	24.2	26.3	6.1	2.41	2.9	1.7	11.232
World Series Game 4 (Fox)	23.6	26.0	5.65	2.29	2.8	1.7	10.511
World Series Game 5 (Fox)	26.4	31.4	7.38	3.14	3.7	2.4	13.644
World Series Game 6 (Fox)	25.6	33.5	7.88	3.37	4.1	2.6	13.968
Average	25.4	27.8	6.5	2.66	3.2	2.0	11.741

Previous Ratings for the World Series:

YEAR	HH	A 18-49	M 18-49	M 18-34	Viewers (millions)
2021	6.5	2.66	3.2	2.0	11.741
2020	5.2	2.50	3.2	2.3	9.785
2019	8.1	3.47	4.2	2.9	13.959
2018	8.3	3.69	4.6	3.2	14.334
2017	10.7	5.02	6.2	-	18.714
2016	12.9	6.53	7.8	6.1	22.847
2015	8.6	4.10	5.1	3.6	14.533
2014	8.2	3.7	4.8	3.9	13.930
2013	8.9	4.25	5.3	4.7	14.984
2012	7.6	3.7	4.7	4.0	12.636
2011	10.0	4.9	6.1	5.2	16.521
2010	8.4	4.0	5.2	4.2	14.217
2009	11.7	6.2	7.8	6.5	19.334
2008	8.4	4.4	5.7	4.7	13.193
2007	10.6	5.6	7.0	5.8	17.212
2006	10.1	4.9	6.4	5.2	15.795
2005	11.1	5.7	7.5	6.2	17.209
2004	15.8	8.8	10.7	8.1	25.474
2003	12.8	6.9	8.8	7.2	20.194
2002	11.9	6.6	8.6	6.8	19.404
2001	15.5	8.5	10.9	8.7	24.302
2000	12.4	7.2	9.5	8.2	18.118
1999	16.0	8.5	10.5	8.5	23.706
1998	14.3	7.7	10.0	8.5	20.488

Source: Nielsen Media Research via ShowBuzzDaily, Programming Insider, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fox Sports PR, David Barron, and SonOfTheBronx