UPDATE: U.S. viewership for the first two games of the World Series has dropped an alarming 14% compared to last year’s matchup, as confirmed by Major League Baseball (MLB) officials. The decline comes amidst record-setting audiences from Canada and Japan, raising questions about the future of American interest in the sport.
The Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays in the initial games, which averaged 12.5 million viewers across multiple platforms including Fox, Fox Deportes, and the Fox Sports app. In stark contrast, last year’s games between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees averaged 14.55 million viewers.
Despite the dip in U.S. ratings, the combined audience for the opener across the U.S., Canada, and Japan reached a staggering 32.6 million viewers, marking the highest total since the historic Chicago Cubs victory in 2016. This year’s Game 1 saw a notable 13,305,000 viewers tuning in for Toronto’s impressive 11-4 victory, while Game 2, which excluded Univision’s coverage, attracted 11.63 million viewers.
The drop in U.S. numbers highlights a shifting landscape in baseball viewership. Last year’s opener, featuring a dramatic finish with Freddie Freeman‘s grand slam, captivated 15.2 million fans, marking it as the most-watched World Series game since 2019.
In Canada, the Blue Jays’ games have been a massive hit, with Game 1 drawing 7 million viewers and Game 2 amassing 6.6 million on Sportsnet, marking both as the most-watched Blue Jays games ever. Additionally, the opener’s broadcast on TVA Sports attracted 502,000 viewers, the network’s highest rating for a game.
Japan has also embraced the World Series fervor. The opener recorded an impressive 11.8 million viewers on NHK-G, making it the most-watched World Series game aired by a single network in the country. Game 2 followed closely with 9.5 million, leading to a two-game average of 10.7 million viewers in Japan.
As MLB navigates these shifts in viewership, the implications of declining U.S. numbers could influence broadcasting strategies and marketing efforts moving forward. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how the remainder of the Series unfolds.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops. The World Series continues to captivate audiences worldwide, but the question remains: will U.S. viewership rebound, or is a new era of baseball fandom emerging?
