World Series averaging 15.15 million viewers in Japan, including 15.9 for Game 2

LOS ANGELES — The World Series is averaging 15.15 million viewers in Japan through two games. According to Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 2 averaged 15.9 million, making it the most-watched MLB postseason game in the nation’s history.

Besides the allure of superstar and presumptive NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, the game had Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the Dodgers’ starting pitcher.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ dramatic 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 — which ended on Freddie Freeman’s walk off grand slam in the 10th inning — averaged 14.4 million.

Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles, meaning the games started around 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday morning in Japan. The games are being carried through Fuji TV, NHK BS and J Sports.

Combined with the United States ratings, the first two games have a combined 29.7 million average in the two countries.

The World Series is averaging 14.55 million viewers in the U.S. on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming, putting it on track for its best performance since 2017.

It is also the first time since the final two games of the 2021 series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros that the World Series has drawn back-to-back games of at least 13.4 million viewers.

According to Nielsen, the matchup between the Yankees and Dodgers has also meant a 93% increase in viewership within the 18-34-year-old demographic. According to MLB, social engagement is up 225% and views on social channels have increased 229%.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb