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Phillies outdraw Eagles on TV in Philadelphia Thursday night

It doesn't happen often, but the Phillies drew more viewers on Thursday night than the Eagles. A World Series run will do that.

Bryce Harper and the Phillies might have lost Game 5 of the World Series Thursday night, but they were able to draw more local viewers than the Eagles.
Bryce Harper and the Phillies might have lost Game 5 of the World Series Thursday night, but they were able to draw more local viewers than the Eagles.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Updated 
    Published 

In almost every case, the Eagles trump the Phillies when it comes to the viewing habits of Philly sports fans.

Thursday night was the exception. Viewers in the Philadelphia TV market tuned in overwhelmingly to watch the Phillies lose a close Game 5 to the Houston Astros in the final game of the season at Citizens Bank Park, according to numbers from Nielsen.

The Phillies World Series game earned a 25.9 rating and a 50 share in the Philadelphia market on Fox29, while the Eagles’ win over the Houston Texans garnered a 8.7 rating and a 16 share airing on PHL17, according to Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand.

Robert Seidman of Sports TV Ratings broke it down further, noting the World Series game drew 1.4 million viewers in Philadelphia, while the Eagles’ win garnered about 377,000.

But there are a few caveats.

First, those Eagles ratings don’t include the local viewers who streamed the game on Amazon’s Prime Video. Those numbers are expected later in the day Friday.

Second, PHL17 doesn’t ordinarily air NFL games and isn’t available on all the major skinny bundles, such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.

It’s also the first season Thursday Night Football has streamed exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video, part of a new deal with the NFL that runs through the 2032 season. In previous years, most Thursday Night Football games aired on Fox or CBS, and despite a massive advertising campaign, some viewers remain confused.

Through Game 4, the World Series is averaging 11.3 million viewers a game, which is up 4% compared to last year’s series at this point. While ratings for the World Series have declined over the years, it still performs well compared to just about anything else on TV that isn’t an NFL game.

Thursday Night Football is averaging about 10.3 million viewers a game on Amazon’s Prime Video this season through last week, according to Amazon, based on Nielsen numbers.

The Phillies will continue their unlikely World Series run on Saturday, taking on the Astros in Game 6 at Minute Maid Park in Houston at 8:03 p.m. on Fox. The Astros lead the series 3-2, and the Phillies would need to win the final two games in Houston to become World Series champs.

Thanks to the Eagles’ Thursday Night Football appearance, they have a mini-bye this week. Their next game is 11 days away, when they take on the Washington Commanders on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Nov. 14.