MLB's 2025 ratings resurgence

At least 25 million viewers tuned into the 2025 World Series Game 7, making it the most-watched finale since 2017. This boosted the series' average viewership to over 14 million, a significant milestone for Major League Baseball. Compared to the NBA Finals, which averaged 10.3 million viewers, the World Series performed strongly. The thrilling Game 7 between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers is expected to see slightly higher final ratings. The participation of a Canadian team and Japanese stars contributed to record viewership in those regions for the first two games. The MLB experienced an overall surge in viewership this season, attributed to rule changes that made the game faster. Regular season national game viewership increased significantly across all major networks. The 2025 postseason also saw its highest U.S. viewership since 2017, with the Wild Card round setting new records. These strong ratings will likely bolster MLB's upcoming multi-year media rights deals. Potential deals include ESPN licensing digital games, NBC acquiring Sunday night games and Wild Card playoff games, and Netflix airing the Home Run Derby.