 World Series (WS, best-of-seven format) has generated explosive interest in Japan.){kind=link}
The Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series (WS, best-of-seven format) has generated explosive interest in Japan. The presence of Japanese superstar, Ohtani Shohei of the LA Dodgers, drives the excitement.
According to the Associated Press on Tuesday, an average of 15.15 million viewers in Japan tuned in for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series between the Dodgers and New York Yankees. According to MLB, Game 2 on Sunday, in which the Dodgers defeated the Yankees 4-2, had an average of 15.9 million viewers, marking it as the highest viewership for an MLB postseason game. Game 1 on the 26th, in which the Dodgers won 6-3, attracted an average of 14.4 million viewers.
In addition to Ohtani, the Dodgers have another Japanese player, pitcher Yamamoto Yoshinobu. He started in Game 2 and delivered an impressive performance, allowing only one run over 6.1 innings.
The World Series matchup between the renowned Yankees and Dodgers has also gained massive popularity in the United States. Combining viewership from the U.S. and Japan, Games 1 and 2 averaged 29.7 million viewers. In the U.S., FOX Sports recorded an average of 14.55 million viewers for Games 1 and 2.