Major League Baseball’s postseason has culminated in a highly anticipated World Series matchup, coming off the back of its most-watched League Championship Series in seven years. The two series that aired on Fox, FS1, and TBS averaged 5.35 million viewers, marking the highest numbers since 2017. Game 1 of the NLCS between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers garnered significant attention, with an average of 20.6 million viewers in the United States and Japan. This game became the second most-watched MLB postseason game in Japan’s history, with a particularly high viewership of 12.1 million in the country. The Dodgers’ 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in the NLDS was also a standout moment, attracting an estimated 12.9 million viewers in Japan.
The NLCS between the Dodgers and the Mets saw Fox and FS1 averaging 5.62 million viewers, the network’s most-viewed championship series since 2019. On the other hand, the ALCS between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on TBS averaged 4.9 million viewers, with Game 5 drawing 5.6 million viewers, a 33% increase compared to last year’s ALCS Game 5 between the Astros and Rangers. The overall postseason average leading up to the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers stands at 3.96 million viewers, representing a 5% increase from the previous year.
In contrast to last year’s World Series, which was the least-watched in recent memory, the upcoming Fall Classic between the Dodgers and Yankees is expected to generate a surge in viewership. The 2019 World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks averaged 9.11 million viewers, with Game 3 setting a record as the least-watched World Series game with 8.13 million viewers. By comparison, the 2018 series between the Red Sox and Dodgers drew an average of 14.1 million viewers. Fox and MLB are hoping to see ratings numbers reach the high of 22.9 million, achieved in 2016 when the Cubs won their first championship in over a century.
Fox’s president of insights and analytics, Mike Mulvihill, expressed optimism about the potential for high viewership during the World Series, predicting that it could exceed recent years’ numbers. He reflected on Fox’s history with baseball and the excitement of covering historic moments such as the Red Sox and Cubs winning the World Series, highlighting the significance of now having the Dodgers and Yankees facing off in the Fall Classic. The anticipation for the World Series matchup is palpable, with hopes of surpassing previous viewership records and creating a memorable experience for baseball fans around the world.
