World Series 2011: Record Low Ratings Still Top Monday Night Football Views

We are right smack in the middle of football season, in the middle of a tight World Series for baseball and should be revving up for basketball season right now (but unfortunately we aren’t).

It seems like this would be one of the best times ever for networks carrying sports programming as everyone should be tuned in, right?

Nope, that’s exactly what isn’t happening.

According to USA Today, Game 5 of a tied 2-2 World Series drew an 8.8 share rating from Nielsen (which roughly means that 8.8 percent of households in the United States were tuned in to FOX during the game) while Monday Night Football garnered just a lowly 5.8 percent of viewers.

Ratings have been steadily declining for postseason baseball for a while now, perhaps due to the small market teams with a limited fanbase outside of their regions that have made the past two World Series.

Last season, the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants World Series tied the record for the least-watched of all time and this series is a whole percentage point of viewers behind even that one.

Monday Night Football is usually one of the most watched shows on television, cable or network.

Even a terrible, unexciting game like the Dallas Cowboys' 18-16 victory in a field goal kicking contest over the Washington Redskins garnered 17.1 million viewers back in late September.

That was good for a 10.6 ratings share and a very respectable number.

Unfortunately, the quality of games on MNF has been very suspect. We’ve seen the New York Giants against the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay vs. Indianapolis, New York Jets vs. Miami and last week's disgusting Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars matchup.

As the star power, marketability and quality of play goes down in major events like MNF or the World Series, viewers seemingly have no problem tuning out.

I’m sure ESPN is going to work on their 2012 MNF schedule very carefully after this debacle, while FOX is hoping that some teams that people actually care about make the World Series next year.