The conclusion of Game 5 of the MLB World Series, which aired on FOX, was the number one-ranked primetime telecast on broadcast TV for Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
CBS’s “Criminal Minds” and “CSI: NY” rounded out the top three.
NBC’s and CBS’s telecasts of Sen. Barack Obama’s half-hour political infomercial also made the top 10.

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
FOX WRLD SERIES GM5 CONCL(S)-10/29/2008
FOX
19,844,000

2
CRIMINAL MINDS
CBS
13,966,000

3
CSI: NY
CBS
13,754,000

4
FOX WRLD SRS GM5 CONCLPRE(S)-10/29/2008
FOX
12,080,000

5
FOX WRLD SRS GM5 CONCLPST(S)-10/29/2008
FOX
10,538,000

6
OBAMA: PAID POLITICAL-NBC(S)-10/29/2008
NBC
9,911,000

7
OBAMA: PAID POLITICAL-CBS(S)-10/29/2008
CBS
8,602,000

8
DEAL OR NO DEAL-WED
NBC
8,337,000

9
PRIVATE PRACTICE
ABC
7,933,000

10
OLD CHRISTINE
CBS
7,607,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 29, 2008).

Overall, FOX won the night with an average …

Updated: The conclusion of Game 5 of the MLB World Series, in which the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1, drew 19.8 million average viewers Wednesday night — the series’ largest TV audience. 
The first half of Game 5, on Monday night, drew 13.2 million average TV viewers — before a rain delay suspended play in the bottom of the sixth inning.

DATE
NETWORK
VIEWERS (P2+)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008
(GAME 5 – conclusion)
FOX
19,844,000

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2008
(GAME 5 – suspended in 6th inning by rain delay)
FOX
13,237,000

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008
(GAME 4)
FOX
15,479,000

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2008
(GAME 3)
FOX
9,836,000

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008
(GAME …

Each week, Nielsen Sports analysts offer their take on the biggest sports media headlines.
This past weekend, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama faced some tough competition in Pennsylvania. 
With the Phillies playing in the World Series and college and pro football games on both Saturday and Sunday, there was no shortage of TV sports options for politics-weary Pennsylvanians, looking for a break from presidential campaigning.
The action started on Saturday in western Pennsylvania, as the Penn State Nittany Lions took on their Big 10 Rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes.  In nearby Pittsburgh, 20.8% of …

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” was the number one-ranked primetime telecast on broadcast TV for Monday, October 27, 2008. 
Game 5 of the MLB World Series, which aired on FOX, claimed second place, and CBS’s “Two And A Half Men” rounded out the top three.

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
18,876,000

2
FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 5(S)-10/27/2008
FOX
13,237,000

3
TWO AND A HALF MEN
CBS
11,881,000

4
CSI: MIAMI
CBS
10,587,000

5
SAMANTHA WHO?
ABC
10,470,000

6
GARY UNMARRIED-MON 930 SP(S)-10/27/2008
CBS
8,654,000

7
BOSTON LEGAL
ABC
8,581,000

8
HEROES
NBC
8,189,000

9
BIG BANG THEORY, THE
CBS
7,932,000

10
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
CBS
7,260,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 27, 2008).

Overall, ABC won the night with an average audience of almost 14.2 million viewers, while FOX …

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
CSI
CBS
19,492,000

2
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
18,497,000

3
NCIS
CBS
17,226,000

4
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
ABC
16,350,000

5
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ABC
15,953,000

6
FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 4(S)
FOX
15,479,000

7
MENTALIST, THE
CBS
15,282,000

8
CRIMINAL MINDS
CBS
15,012,000

9
FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 1(S)
FOX
14,634,000

10
TWO AND A HALF MEN
CBS
14,630,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 20, 2008 – October 26, 2008).

The 2001 World Series telecasts (New York Yankees vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) claimed the largest U.S. TV audiences in recent memory: 24.5 million viewers per telecast, on average. 
But the late Seventies and early Eighties remain the true glory days of World Series TV viewership.
The 1980 World Series telecasts — the last time the Philadelphia Phillies won a World Series — drew the largest per game TV audiences on record: almost 54.9 million average viewers.