JOYFUL NEWS: Shohei Ohtani Lifts World Series TV Ratings to Record Levels in Japan

JOYFUL NEWS: Shohei Ohtani Lifts World Series TV Ratings to Record Levels in Japan

Although baseball has long been a national obsession in Japan, the game is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of popularity there because to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s first World Series.

Approximately 12 percent of Japan’s population, or 15.9 million people, watched the Dodgers vs. New York Yankees World Series second game.

The Dodgers’ thrilling 4-2 victory over the Yankees was the most watched MLB postseason game in Japanese history. Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched well, but Ohtani’s withdrawal in the 7th inning due to a shoulder injury had spectators hanging their breath.

During the game, the U.S. actually lost ground to Japan as the second-largest baseball TV market for the first time. According to figures released Monday by Major League Baseball and Fox Corp.’s sports division, the game was watched by around 13.8 million people in the United States, which is home to a considerably bigger population of 346 million.

The first two games of the series began at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday morning in Japan, which is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles. J Sports, NHK BS, and Fuji TV are broadcasting the games in the nation.

Japanese fans will once again gather in great numbers to watch the Dodgers’ announcement that Ohtani will play in Game 3 of the World Series in New York.

For Fox Sports, which is broadcasting the games domestically, the high-profile matchup between the two most valued baseball teams, the Dodgers and the Yankees, has turned into a ratings jackpot. As of right now, viewership is expected to reach levels not seen since the World Series in 2017. Nielsen reports that viewership among 18 to 34-year-olds, a highly sought-after demographic for advertisers, has increased by 93% this series, which may be more significant for the game’s future. Additionally, the league claims that the World Series has had the most social media engagement (25 million) and views (345 million) in its history.