FOX saw a significant drop in television ratings for San Francisco's 8-3 romp over Detroit during Game One of the World Series. Just 12.2 million viewers tuned into Game One on Wednesday, as FOX's World Series viewership dropped for the third consecutive year. In 2011, Game One of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers garnered 14.2 million viewers and an 8.6 rating, which broke the previous low set by the Giants and Rangers in the 2010 Series. The 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies garnered 19.5 million viewers.

The Giants jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning in Game One, and by the fifth inning, the team was in cruise control with a 6-0 lead. Even Pablo Sandoval's historic night at the plate, in which he became just the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game, couldn't attract a larger audience. Despite the low ratings, FOX still won the 18-49-year-old demographic for prime time television.