World Series scores again in ratings

Fox wins Sunday night with Game 4

By RICK KISSELL

Fox dominated Sunday's ratings action behind Game 4 of the World Series, which followed the conclusion of a hugely rated NFL game. ABC ran second behind "Desperate Housewives," the night's top entertainment series.

According to preliminary time zone-adjusted nationals from Nielsen, the New York Yankees' 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies averaged a strong 22.8 million viewers overall -- up a big 47% in viewers vs. last year's Game 4 between the Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays. The adults 18-49 rating was not immediately available, but the game likely approached an 8 rating, which would top every game since the 2004 Fall Classic.

Not that it needed much help, but the baseball contest followed the end of the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers game, which was projected to average roughly a 13 rating in adults 18-49 and more than 33 million viewers overall during the opening half-hour of primetime. Fox also dominated at 7:30 p.m. with football postgame show "The OT" (6.5/17 in 18-49, 18.2 million viewers overall in preliminary nationals not adjusted for time zone differences).

Elsewhere, ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (4.9/11 in 18-49, 13.8 million viewers overall) was up a bit vs. recent weeks to place second to baseball at 9 o'clock, followed by "Brothers & Sisters" (3.3/9 in 18-49, 9.4 million viewers overall), which was on par with last week to match its best demo delivery since March. Earlier in the evening, "America's Funniest Home Videos" (2.0/5 in 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall) was down week to week, but "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was up (3.4/8 in 18-49, 10.8 million viewers overall).

Overall, ABC matched its highest Sunday 18-49 average of the season.

"Amazing Race" (3.2/8 in 18-49, 11.1 million viewers overall) was the standout as usual for CBS, while "60 Minutes" (2.1/6 in 18-49, 12.3 million viewers overall) held up fairly well opposite the big sports on Fox. Things went downhill after "Race," though, as dramas "Three Rivers" (1.7/4 in 18-49, 7.7 million viewers overall) and "Cold Case" (1.6/4 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall) again struggled.

NBC, with its "Sunday Night Football" franchise taking a week off due to the World Series, placed a distant fourth on the night with "Football Night in America" (0.8/2 in 18-49, 2.6 million viewers overall) and the movie "National Treasure" (1.7/4 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall).

Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 7.4/18; ABC, 3.4/8; CBS, 2.2/5; NBC, 1.4/4; Univision, 0.7/2.

In total viewers: Fox, 21.1 million; ABC, 10.4 million; CBS, 9.5 million; NBC, 4.1 million; Univision, 2.0 million.