UPDATE: Major League Baseball is witnessing its most-viewed postseason in the United States since 2017, with an average of 4.48 million viewers for the League Championship Series, according to recent data from MLB and Nielsen. This marks a significant 13% increase from last year’s figures, driven primarily by strong performances in the first two rounds.
The American League Championship Series (ALCS), aired on Fox, Fox Sports 1, and streaming platforms, averaged 4.99 million viewers across its seven games. This is comparable to last year’s ALCS, where the New York Yankees triumphed over the Cleveland Guardians in five games.
The surge in viewership is particularly notable, with the Toronto Blue Jays’ thrilling 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 attracting an impressive 9.03 million viewers, making it the most-watched ALCS game in eight years. The audience peaked at a staggering 12.35 million during the ninth inning, showcasing the intense excitement among fans.
The postseason has also seen remarkable growth beyond the United States. In Canada, the Blue Jays’ journey to the World Series for the first time since 1993 attracted an average of 6 million viewers, marking the most-watched Blue Jays game on Sportsnet.
Internationally, Shohei Ohtani‘s extraordinary performance in Game 4, where he hit three home runs and struck out ten batters, averaged 10.26 million viewers in Japan. This figure stands as the second most-watched LCS game in Japanese history, reflecting the global appeal of MLB and its star players. The game aired early Saturday morning in Japan due to a 16-hour time difference with Los Angeles.
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) also set records, averaging an astounding 7.34 million viewers in Japan, a 26% increase over last year, as fans continue to follow Ohtani and fellow athletes Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in record numbers.
This surge in viewership is not only a win for MLB but also signifies a deeper connection with fans across the globe, highlighting the sport’s growing international allure. As the postseason progresses, all eyes will be on the upcoming games to see if this trend continues and how it impacts the overall landscape of baseball viewership.
With the World Series just around the corner, fans are eager to see if this momentum will sustain. Stay tuned for the latest updates and what’s next for Major League Baseball as it strives to captivate audiences worldwide.
