#sports-viewership

#sports-viewership

The 2026 World Series smashed ratings expectations across the board, and Game 7 was the most-watched baseball game in 34 years. And note that the ratings success was not merely a function of expanded Canadian and Japanese audiences. In the US alone, 16.1 million people watched each game on average, which was an increase over last year's ratings dream of a matchup between the Yankees and Dodgers, and trounced the 2025 NBA Finals average viewership of 10.3 million.

There was not a single place that didn't have the Al-Hilal game on, and everyone was off the streets and watching it. The freeway was so empty. On a Friday night, that never happens, not even during Ramadan.