Audiences chose the Cubbies over America’s Team on Sunday night.
Game 5 of the World Series, which saw the Chicago Cubs narrowly avoid elimination by the Cleveland Indians, brought in a bigger overnight rating than “Sunday Night Football” by 32%.
Game 5 brought in a huge 15.3 overnight rating for Fox, which beat out the 11.6 rating of Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys’ overtime win over their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
For Fox and MLB, the number was the best overnight rating for any baseball game in the last five years. It was also up 31% over last year’s game 5 between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets.
And this is the first time since 2013 that a World Series game has topped “Sunday Night Football” in overnight ratings.
As for the NBC and the NFL, the number was down from last year’s match up between the undefeated Green Bay Packers and the undefeated Denver Broncos. That game brought in a 14.3 rating.
This World Series has seen its biggest ratings in years thanks in large part to the Cubs and Indians having two cult-like fanbases as well as the two longest title droughts in baseball history.
Alternatively, the NFL, which has been a TV ratings powerhouse for years, has seen its audience take a surprising dip this year.
More detailed numbers, including viewership, are expected later on Monday.