UPDATE: U.S. viewership for the first two games of the 2023 World Series has plunged 14% compared to last year, as the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays. Official data from Major League Baseball (MLB) reveals that the first two games averaged just 12.5 million viewers across various platforms, including Fox and Univision, significantly down from last year’s 14.55 million average.
This decline raises concerns about the overall interest in the series, especially given the exciting matchups involved. Last year’s first two games featured the Dodgers and the New York Yankees, drawing considerable attention. In stark contrast, this year’s games recorded a combined viewership of 32.6 million across the U.S., Canada, and Japan, marking the highest since the historic 2016 World Series when the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year championship drought.
Game 1 saw the Blue Jays dominate with an 11-4 victory, attracting an average audience of 13.3 million, while the Dodgers responded with a 5-1 win in Game 2, which averaged 11.63 million viewers—excluding Univision coverage. For context, Game 1 of last year’s Series, featuring a thrilling grand slam by Freddie Freeman, reached 15.2 million viewers, the most-watched game since 2019.
Despite the drop in U.S. viewership, Canadian audiences set records, with Game 1 attracting 7 million viewers and Game 2 6.6 million—the two highest Blue Jays games ever televised on Sportsnet. The network, owned by Rogers Communications Inc., reported that the opener also garnered 502,000 viewers on French-language TVA Sports, making it their most-watched game.
In Japan, the interest was equally remarkable. Game 1 averaged 11.8 million viewers on NHK-G, the highest for a World Series game on a single network, while Game 2 attracted 9.5 million on NHK-BS, resulting in a two-game average of 10.7 million.
The overall two-game average across the U.S., Canada, and Japan stands at 30.5 million, reflecting a significant international interest that could counterbalance the dip in U.S. viewership.
As the World Series progresses, officials and fans alike will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming games, hoping for a resurgence in viewer numbers. Stay tuned for more updates as the situation develops.
