World Baseball Classic title game draws a record 10.8 million viewers

Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 to win its first World Baseball Classic title, and Fox Sports reported 10.784 million viewers across Fox and Fox Deportes with a peak of 12.148 million.

Venezuela won its first World Baseball Classic title Tuesday, beating the United States 3-2. Fox Sports reported that 10.784 million viewers watched across Fox and Fox Deportes, with a peak of 12.148 million around 10:30 p.m. ET. The game was the most-watched matchup in the 20-year history of the event. The tournament also recorded record-high average viewership on English-language Fox channels. Key details: - Final score: Venezuela 3, United States 2, marking Venezuela's first WBC title. - Reported total viewership for the final was 10.784 million across Fox and Fox Deportes. - Peak audience for the final reached 12.148 million around 10:30 p.m. ET. - The tournament averaged 1.294 million viewers per game on English-language Fox channels, up from 506,000 in 2023 (a 156 percent increase). - The 2023 Japan–United States final drew about 4.48 million viewers and remains among the tournament's most-watched games. Summary: The final set new viewership records for the World Baseball Classic and reflected a sharp rise in English-language TV audiences for the event. The article noted that MLB's broadcast distribution is expanding to include Netflix and NBC alongside Fox and ESPN, while the longer-term effects on regular-season television ratings are undetermined at this time.