Francesa congratulates Kay after ratings loss

Mike Francesa is handling his final ratings disaster better than expected.

The longtime WFAN drive-time host, who is leaving the time slot (for the second time) after 30 years, congratulated “The Michael Kay Show” for defeating him in the fall book, though he didn’t mention Kay or his co-hosts by name.

“Looked at the fall ratings book and I didn’t keep up my end of the bargain [finished second],” Francesa tweeted on Tuesday. “I’m told all other WFAN day parts finished first. Congrats to them all! Also, congrats to sports competition for defeating me for first time ever. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all.”

When ESPN NY claimed victory during the winter book earlier this year, Francesa snapped at the rival station because WFAN would have won if its streaming numbers were factored in.

“They didn’t win, they lost,” Francesa said in April. “If I lost, honestly, I would tell you I lost and move on. I feel utter pity for them that they would go to this length when they didn’t win. I feel sad for them, I really do.”

In late October, when it was revealed Francesa had lost the first month of the fall book to Kay, Francesa tried to downplay it.

“I have been in afternoon drive since 1989 and have never finished behind another sports program,” Francesa wrote on Twitter at the time. “Never. The other station celebrating a success now would be the same as spiking the football after finally scoring a TD in a game that is 77-0!”

Now, Francesa is going out with a whimper.