With playoffs in full swing and the Major League Baseball field winnowing down, the sports business world has turned its attention to the World Series. But while the pundits are worried about teams, batting averages and home-field advantage, the sports business world is all about the numbers for the series, which begins on October 25. So here’s the pitch with the big digits for the 112th World Series.
$5 Million: Estimated financial impact of each World Series game played last year in Kansas City, MO, according to Fox4KC.
14.7 Million: TV viewers per game of the World Series in 2015
26: Percentage increase in viewership over 2014
2009: The last year the Series had as many viewers as it did in 2015
(These three statistics from SB Nation)
Two: World Series trophies located outside the U.S. (the Toronto Blue Jays won it in 1992 and 1993)
1994: The only other year a non-U.S. team (the Montreal Expos) was favored to win it all – however, the Series was cancelled because of a strike and no trophy was awarded.
(These two statistics from CBS Boston)
The following statistics are courtesy of Wallet Hub, and relate to the 2014 World Series (the 2015 numbers have not been released yet):
52 Million: Viewers who tuned in for the final game
$8 Billion: Total fees paid by Fox for broadcast rights to the World Series
$279: Average price online for a ticket to the first game
$43 Million: Ad revenue generated for each game beyond the necessary four games required
$257 Million: Total ad revenue generated by the seven-game World Series
$520,000-plus: Cost of a 30-second TV commercial during any game of the World Series
$4.5 Million: Cost of the same commercial during the 2015 Super Bowl (for comparison)
$125: Cost of a replica World Series ring
$388,000-plus: Bonuses given to San Francisco Giants players after their win
$15,000: Cost of the silver and gold Commissioner’s Trophy made each year by Tiffany and Co.
And for the team that comes out on the losing end, here’s a consolation statistic:
$7,600: the scrap value of the metal in the aforementioned trophy
Play ball.
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