Fox, MLB Set Early Start to 2010 World Series Game

Fox and Major League Baseball have announced the start times for the 2010 World Series, and there is a pleasant surprise among them. Game three of the Fall Classic, scheduled for Saturday October 30, will begin at 6:57 PM ET, a full hour earlier than last year’s Saturday game.

The pre-7 PM start time is the earliest World Series game since game six of the 1987 series

The other games will begin at 7:57 PM, with the exception of game four on Sunday, which will begin following Fox’s NFL coverage.

Viewers can thank Chevrolet for the earlier start time, with the auto company committing an additional level of advertising support for the game.

“I am extremely pleased we are able to provide our fans the earliest World Series start time since 1987 with Saturday’s Game Three,'” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig in a statement. “The changes we made with FOX last year to start the World Series games earlier helped increase viewership including more young fans and we are optimistic that the earlier start time for Saturday’s Game Three will keep us moving in the same direction.”

More information, and the full schedule, is after the jump.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND FOX ANNOUNCE START TIMES FOR 2010 WORLD SERIES

Game Three to Have Earliest Start for Any Game Since 1987

NEW YORK – Major League Baseball and FOX announced the start times for the 2010 World Series with Game Three scheduled to start at 6:57 p.m. ET/3:57 PT on Saturday, October 30. The remaining World Series games are scheduled for first pitch to take place at 7:57 p.m. ET with the exception of Game Four, which will take place following the conclusion of the NFL on FOX, as in years past.

The 6:57 ET/3:57 PT start time for Game Three will be the earliest start to a World Series game since Game Six of the 1987 World Series and is one hour earlier than the scheduled start time of the 2009 World Series game on Saturday.

“I am extremely pleased we are able to provide our fans the earliest World Series start time since 1987 with Saturday’s Game Three,'” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “The changes we made with FOX last year to start the World Series games earlier helped increase viewership including more young fans and we are optimistic that the earlier start time for Saturday’s Game Three will keep us moving in the same direction.”

Key to the earlier scheduled start time for Game Three is an additional level of advertising support from Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, and a perennial sponsor of MLB on FOX.

“Starting the game earlier will allow more families to watch together,” said Chris Perry, vice president U.S. marketing, Chevrolet. “This fits perfectly with our commitment to baseball which stretches from youth teams across the country to MLB.”

“We’ve said over the years that if advertisers were willing to support earlier starts at prime time levels, we’d be able to begin games earlier,” said FOX Sports president Eric Shanks. “We’re excited to be working with MLB and Chevrolet, along with our FOX-owned stations and affiliates to make this happen.”