Ratings for small-market Brewers-Rays World Series down only 6% through 2 games

The ratings for the small-market Milwaukee Brewers-Tampa Bay Rays World Series are down only 6% through the first two games, defying expectations. According to Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports president for insight and analytics, the matchup between the two teams is exceeding expectations. While the first two games on Fox Sports saw a 6% decrease compared to the same games from last year's World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, the ratings still surpassed many predictions.

Both games averaged 12.26 million and 10.85 million viewers respectively, making them the most-watched broadcasts of the night. The difference this year is the steady fan base of Milwaukee, a small-market team with a consistent presence in recent seasons, and the matchup against the two best-recorded teams in baseball this season.