In the fall 2019 ratings book, Francesa's third full book since his return, his WFAN show lost to his ESPN rival The Michael Kay Show in direct head-to-head ratings, dethroning Francesa from the top of the New York sports ratings for the first time in his career, spanning back to 1989. In the book, Francesa was outrated by Kay 7.4-5.5, with Francesa's total share rising to 6.0 after including streaming. In response to his first-ever ratings book loss, Francesa criticized Kay and his co-hosts, claiming that "celebrating success now would be the same as spiking the football after finally scoring a TD in a game that is 77-0!"