Young fans driving massive viewership gains for World Series

The first two games of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One drew a combined 29.7 million average viewers in the U.S. and Japan. Game 2 averaged 15.9 million viewers in Japan, the most-watched MLB Postseason game ever in the country. Game 1 average viewership was 14.4 million, making it the second most-watched Postseason game ever in Japan. Through the first two games, the Fall Classic has an average viewership of 15.15 million in Japan.

Game 2 ranks second for the most-watched MLB game ever in Japan behind only the first game of the 2024 season for the Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea, which drew 18.7 million average viewers and aired live in primetime. World Series games air live at 9 a.m. in Japan. The 2024 World Series is being distributed in Japan through Fuji TV, NHK BS, and J Sports.

Younger Audiences in U.S. and Social Media

Back in the U.S., younger audiences are leading the significant viewership gains for this year’s World Series. The first two games of the World Series registered a +93% increase in viewership within the 18-34 year-old audience in the U.S. Compared to last year’s Fall Classic, the 18-34 year-old group is drawing the largest increase of any of the demos.

In addition, MLB’s social media platforms have registered the most views and engagements in World Series history. Through two games of the Fall Classic, MLB’s social channels registered more than 345 million views (+229% vs. 2023) and 25 million engagements (+225% vs. 2023).