This Year’s World Series Drew a Massive TV Rating

They needed all seven games and multiple extra-inning marathons to do it, but the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a World Series repeat with their win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Dodgers erased a 3-2 series deficit with back-to-back wins in Toronto, bringing home the franchise's second title in a row and their ninth overall.

Fans were treated to incredible performances by players like Freddie Freeman, Miguel Rojas and Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked away with series MVP after a Herculean effort on the mound.

America's Pastime Has a Bright Future

This year's World Series seemed to capture the attention of more fans than the championship series has in recent years, and the TV ratings reflect that interest.

Preliminary Nielsen returns from Saturday night's Game 7 classic between the Dodgers and Blue Jays show that the game broadcast averaged 25.45 million viewers. Streaming services added another 530,000 viewers, and more detailed returns later in the week could produce an even larger number.

The game peaked in viewership with 31.54 million people tuning in just before midnight on the east coast. Those fans saw the Dodgers complete their series-winning comeback after trailing 3-0 earlier in the night. Will Smith's go-ahead home run in the top of the 11th inning opened the door for Yamamoto to seal the deal in the bottom half of the frame.

Saturday's Game 7 Made History

25.98 million people tuned in to Saturday night's game, making it the most-watched Major League Baseball telecast of any kind since Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. The game was also 10% ahead of the last World Series Game 7 - the Washington Nationals' victory over the Houston Astros in 2019.

Of the eight World Series Game 7s since 2001, Saturday's telecast currently ranks fifth. The Chicago Cubs' historic 2016 victory over Cleveland holds the top spot as the most-watched Game 7 of the last quarter century.

The Dodgers became the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the New York Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 through 2000. Next year, the Dodgers will attempt to emulate that feat as they continue to cement themselves as one of the greatest teams in baseball history.

If they find their way back to the 2026 World Series, it's safe to say that millions and millions of fans will tune in to see the result.