U.S. World Series Viewership Plunges 14% Despite Record Global Tune-In

UPDATE: Major League Baseball (MLB) has confirmed a staggering 14% drop in U.S. viewership for the first two games of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. This year’s games averaged just 12.5 million viewers, a significant decline from last year’s 14.55 million average when the Dodgers faced the New York Yankees.

Despite this decline, the global audience surged, with combined viewership from the U.S., Canada, and Japan reaching an impressive 32.6 million viewers, marking the highest since the historic 2016 World Series when the Chicago Cubs ended a 108-year title drought.

Game 1, which saw the Blue Jays dominate with an 11-4 victory, attracted 13.3 million viewers, while Game 2, where the Dodgers secured a 5-1 win, garnered 11.63 million viewers. Notably, these figures do not include viewership from Univision, which could further increase the overall audience numbers.

Game viewership statistics reveal a striking contrast in Canadian interest. Game 1 pulled in 7 million viewers and Game 2 drew 6.6 million, making them the most-watched Blue Jays games ever on Sportsnet. Additionally, the opener was broadcast with French-language commentary on TVA Sports, attracting 502,000 viewers, the network’s highest-rated game.

In Japan, the excitement was palpable as well, with Game 1 averaging 11.8 million viewers on NHK-G—the highest single-network viewership for a World Series game in Japan. Game 2 averaged 9.5 million on NHK-BS, leading to a combined average of 10.7 million across both games.

The decline in U.S. viewership raises questions about domestic interest in the World Series, especially when compared to last year’s opener, which attracted 15.2 million viewers—the most-watched Series game since 2019.

As the series progresses, officials and fans alike are eager to see if viewership rebounds. The next games will be critical in determining whether the trend continues or if the excitement of the World Series can draw more viewers back to the screens. Stay tuned for real-time updates as the situation develops.

This rapid shift in viewership patterns underscores the changing landscape of sports broadcasting, highlighting the increasing importance of international audiences in the popularity of Major League Baseball.