### World Series Ratings Decline in the U.S. Amid Record Viewership Elsewhere The first two games of the 2025 World Series, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, have seen a **14% drop in U.S. viewership** compared to last year's series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees. While the U.S. audience averaged **12.5 million viewers**, Canadian and Japanese audiences set new records, indicating a shift in interest across different markets. Last year's games averaged **14.55 million viewers**, highlighting a significant decline in U.S. engagement this year [https://apnews.com/article/world-series-ratings-fox-57ec19092d896b5f6e4c4c5541df3049]. ### Breakdown of Viewership Trends and Implications 1. **U.S. Viewership Decline**: - The average viewership for the first two games was **12.5 million**, down from **14.55 million** last year, marking a **14% decrease** [https://www.themirror.com/sport/baseball/fox-suffers-blow-world-series-1473315]. - Game 1 attracted **13.3 million viewers**, while Game 2 saw a drop to **11.6 million** [https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3381224/u-s-world-series-viewers-drop-14-for-first-2-games-but-soar-in-canada-japan]. 2. **Record Viewership in Canada and Japan**: - Canadian audiences set records with **7 million viewers** for Game 1 and **6.6 million** for Game 2, making them the most-watched Blue Jays games on Sportsnet [https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3381224/u-s-world-series-viewers-drop-14-for-first-2-games-but-soar-in-canada-japan]. - In Japan, Game 1 averaged **11.8 million** viewers, while Game 2 averaged **9.5 million**, leading to a two-game average of **10.7 million** [https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3381224/u-s-world-series-viewers-drop-14-for-first-2-games-but-soar-in-canada-japan]. 3. **Comparative Analysis with Previous Years**: - Last year's opener, which featured a dramatic finish, was viewed by **15.2 million**, the highest since 2019 [https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3381224/u-s-world-series-viewers-drop-14-for-first-2-games-but-soar-in-canada-japan]. - The overall combined viewership for the first two games across the U.S., Canada, and Japan reached **32.6 million**, the highest since the 2016 World Series [https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3381224/u-s-world-series-viewers-drop-14-for-first-2-games-but-soar-in-canada-japan]. ### Summary of Findings and Future Implications - **Declining U.S. Viewership**: The **14% drop** in U.S. viewership for the World Series raises concerns about the engagement levels of American audiences with Major League Baseball (MLB) [https://apnews.com/article/world-series-ratings-fox-57ec19092d896b5f6e4c4c5541df3049]. - **International Growth**: The record-setting viewership in Canada and Japan suggests that MLB may need to focus on international markets to sustain its growth and popularity [https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3381224/u-s-world-series-viewers-drop-14-for-first-2-games-but-soar-in-canada-japan]. - **Strategic Adjustments Needed**: To counteract the decline in U.S. viewership, MLB may need to explore new marketing strategies or changes in game presentation to rekindle interest among American fans [https://www.themirror.com/sport/baseball/fox-suffers-blow-world-series-1473315]. In conclusion, while the World Series continues to attract significant viewership globally, the decline in U.S. ratings signals a need for MLB to reassess its approach to engage American audiences effectively.