The thrilling extended matchup that saw the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays by one run averaged a total 51M spectators across the US, Canada, and Japan territories. MLB reported this marks the most-watched World Series finale since the 1991 edition contest between the Twins and Atlanta Braves.
Television Ratings Breakdown
Last Saturday’s epic game drew 27.33 million viewers on Fox channels, Fox Deportes and Fox’s digital services. Per ratings data, it was the second most-watched program of the previous week.
It also is the most-watched Fall Classic game since the 2017 Game 7 between the Dodgers and Astros, which averaged over 29 million. This marks a 16% improvement compared to the previous finale featuring the Nationals and Houston Astros, which attracted 23.19 million viewers.
In the Nielsen ratings, the sixth game placed fourth, Game 4 was seventh, Game 5 came in eighth, and the third game finished in thirteenth position.
Global Viewership Numbers
In the Canadian market, the climactic game recorded 11.6 million viewers on Sportsnet and the French TVA Sports. This made it the most-watched English-language program in the country since the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
In the Japanese market, where the final game started at 9 p.m. local time, it averaged 12 million viewers. This followed the previous Friday’s Game 6 – in which World Series MVP Yamamoto allowed one run in six innings – drew over 13 million spectators, making it the highest-rated Fall Classic matchup on a single network in the country.
Overall Averages and Trends
The entire seven-match series recorded 15.71 million audience members on Fox, a 2% rise from last year’s Dodgers-Yankees series. This represents the first time after 2015 and 2016 that the World Series has recorded viewership increases for two consecutive seasons.
Including the Game 1 broadcast on Univision, the complete US average was 16.1 million. The total World Series average in the Japanese market was 9.7 million and 8.1 million in the Canadian market.
The complete playoffs on Fox and its sister channels drew 8.09M watchers, an 8% increase compared to last year and the network’s best postseason ratings since the 2017 season.
MLB reported that the Fall Classic was televised in 203 countries and territories by 44 media partners in 16 various languages.
