LOS ANGELES — The recent World Series, featuring Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their inaugural appearances, achieved remarkable viewership figures in Japan, with an average of 12.9 million spectators, setting a new record for the most-watched Fall Classic in the country’s history.
In tandem with the ratings from the United States, the five-game matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees garnered an impressive combined average of 28.7 million viewers across both nations.
Notably, Game 2, where the Dodgers triumphed 4-2, reached an astounding average of 15.9 million viewers in Japan, making it the most-viewed postseason game ever recorded there, as reported by Major League Baseball. Yamamoto, the starting pitcher for the Dodgers, showcased his talent by surrendering just one run and one hit over 6 and 1/3 innings.
Considering the significant time difference—19 hours ahead of New York and 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles—fans in Japan tuned in to watch the games, which began around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Major networks, including Fuji TV, NHK BS, and J Sports, broadcast the Series to eager viewers.
In addition to Japan, the World Series also saw unprecedented viewership numbers in Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Taiwan, as confirmed by MLB.
In the United States, the Series averaged 15.8 million viewers on Fox, Fox Deportes, and streaming services, marking its best numbers since 2017. This figure represents a significant 67% increase compared to the previous year, a stark contrast to the 9.11 million average viewers during the 2022 matchup between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, which recorded the lowest viewership in Series history.
Los Angeles emerged as the top U.S. market with an impressive 18.9 rating and 53 share, while San Diego followed closely with a 12.4 rating and 41 share. New York secured the third spot with the same 12.4 rating but a lower share of 41.
The rating measures the percentage of households watching the event, while the share indicates the percentage of the audience engaged at that specific time.
Moreover, Fox and FS1 attracted an average of 7.49 million viewers during the postseason, reflecting a 42% increase from the previous year and the highest average in the past seven years.