The World Series has kicked off with a viewership twist! ESPN reports a 14% decline in U.S. audiences for the initial two games of the highly anticipated baseball showdown. But wait, there's a catch—while American interest may have waned, international fans stepped up to the plate with record-breaking enthusiasm.
The 2025 World Series, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, has captivated global audiences, even as U.S. viewership dipped compared to the 2024 series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees. The first two games of this year's series attracted an average of 12.5 million viewers across various platforms in the U.S., a decrease from last year's average of 14.55 million. But here's where it gets interesting: Canadian and Japanese fans tuned in like never before.
Major League Baseball (MLB) revealed that the combined viewership for the opening game in the U.S., Canada, and Japan reached a remarkable 32.6 million, the highest since the historic 2016 World Series when the Chicago Cubs broke their century-long title drought. Game 1 of the current series saw a thrilling 11-4 win for Toronto, drawing an average of 13.305 million viewers, while Game 2, a 5-1 victory for Los Angeles, captivated 11.63 million fans. And this is where the story takes an international turn...
Canadian viewers were in full swing, with Game 1 attracting 7 million viewers and Game 2 drawing 6.6 million—a record for Blue Jays games on Sportsnet, owned by the team's parent company, Rogers Communications Inc. The opener's broadcast in French on TVA Sports also hit a high note with 502,000 viewers. But the real international sensation was in Japan, where the games were broadcast on NHK.
Game 1 on NHK-G averaged 11.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched World Series game in Japan on a single network. Game 2 on NHK-BS maintained the momentum with an average of 9.5 million viewers, resulting in a two-game average of 10.7 million Japanese fans. The combined two-game average across the U.S., Canada, and Japan reached an impressive 30.5 million.
But what's behind the shifting viewership trends? Is it a sign of changing fan preferences, or are there other factors at play? The international appeal of the teams and players, the accessibility of streaming platforms, and the allure of historic moments all contribute to the complex dynamics of sports viewership. And this is the part most people miss—the cultural impact and global reach of sports events like the World Series.
So, what's your take? Are you surprised by the international viewership surge? Do you think the World Series' appeal is evolving, or are these fluctuations just part of the game? Share your thoughts and keep the conversation going!
