URGENT UPDATE: U.S. viewership for the first two games of the World Series has dropped 14% compared to last year, a significant decline amid a thrilling matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. This year’s games averaged just 12.5 million viewers on Fox and other platforms, down from 14.55 million last year’s opening games featuring the Dodgers and New York Yankees, according to Major League Baseball (MLB).
Despite the drop in U.S. viewers, the World Series has seen record-breaking audiences in Canada and Japan. The combined viewership of 32.6 million across the U.S., Canada, and Japan for the opener marks the highest numbers since the Chicago Cubs’ historic victory in the 2016 World Series.
In detail, the opening game saw a total of 13,305,000 viewers as Toronto triumphed over Los Angeles with an impressive 11-4 scoreline. The second game, however, dipped to 11.63 million viewers, excluding Spanish-language coverage on Univision. Last year’s Game 1, which ended dramatically with a grand slam by Freddie Freeman, attracted 15.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched Series game since 2019.
In Canada, Game 1 drew a remarkable 7 million viewers, while Game 2 garnered 6.6 million, marking them as the two most-watched Blue Jays games on Sportsnet. The French-language broadcast on TVA Sports also broke records, attracting 502,000 viewers, the channel’s highest ever.
Japan has also responded enthusiastically, with Game 1 averaging 11.8 million viewers on NHK-G, the most watched World Series game in Japan by a single network. Game 2 followed closely with an average of 9.5 million on NHK-BS, resulting in a two-game average of 10.7 million viewers in Japan.
The total two-game average for the U.S., Canada, and Japan stands at 30.5 million, showcasing the global interest in baseball, even as U.S. ratings decline.
As the World Series progresses, many eyes will be on how viewership trends evolve. Will the excitement of the games draw viewers back, or will the trend continue to decline? Fans and analysts alike are eagerly awaiting the outcome. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
