An average of 15.2 million viewers tuned into Fox, Fox Deportes, Univision and streaming services to watch Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, the biggest audience for a Fall Classic game since 2019.
Viewers got to see Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman launch a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning to send Los Angeles to a 6-3 victory and a 1-0 series lead. Only four World Series games — out of 36 — since 2018 have brought in a television audience of over 15 million.
The Nationals and Astros played in what had previously been the most watched World Series game, with an average of 23 million people witnessing Washington secure a title with a 6-2 win over Houston in Game 7 of the 2019 Fall Classic.
For the meeting between the Dodgers and Yankees on Friday, the audience topped out at 17.8 million, according to Nielsen. That peak came during the 10th inning and lasted until Freeman’s shot into the right field seats.
Game 1 of this year’s World Series had an audience that was 62 percent larger than that of the one that watched the first game of the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. An average of 9.35 million viewers watched that contest, the least-viewed Game 1 ever recorded.
The Dodgers beat the Yankees 4-2 in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The series shifts to New York for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday, with Game 5 slated for Wednesday, if necessary.
