News Summary
The Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, aiming to defend their title. Game 1 will take place at Rogers Centre, with a notable rise in postseason viewership across the U.S. and Canada. This matchup promises to highlight baseball’s global nature, featuring a diverse roster of players and significant viewer engagement. The Dodgers, seeking to repeat their championship success, will compete against the Blue Jays, who are looking for their first title in decades, making this series a thrilling event for fans worldwide.
Los Angeles, CA – The 2025 World Series is set to take place as the Los Angeles Dodgers aim to defend their title against the Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 is scheduled to kick off on Friday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto at 8:00 p.m. ET. This matchup brings excitement not only for the fans but also for Major League Baseball as postseason viewership continues to soar.
Postseason viewership has reached impressive numbers this year, averaging 4.48 million viewers in the U.S., reflecting a 13% rise compared to last year’s figures. This year’s postseason marks the most-watched since 2017, underscoring the growing interest in baseball. The American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 7, which featured the Blue Jays taking on the Seattle Mariners, averaged 15.03 million viewers, including Canadian audiences. In the U.S. alone, this game attracted 9.03 million viewers across various FOX platforms, becoming the most-watched ALCS game in over six years. In Canada, the game set a record as the most-watched Blue Jays game on Sportsnet, capturing 6 million viewers.
Overall, the combined viewership for the entire ALCS, accounting for both the U.S. and Canada, averaged 9.39 million, which represents a substantial 60% increase over the previous year’s average of 5.88 million. The Dodgers’ success was highlighted during the National League Championship Series (NLCS), where their sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers achieved the highest viewership in Japan, averaging 7.34 million. A particular standout moment came when Game 4 featured an awe-inspiring performance from Shohei Ohtani, who hit three home runs and struck out ten batters, drawing 10.26 million viewers in Japan—making it the second most-watched LCS game in the country’s history.
MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. has expressed that the 2025 World Series will showcase baseball’s global nature. The series is set to be broadcast in 203 countries and territories across 16 languages with the help of 44 media partners, improving accessibility for international fans. The rosters of the Dodgers and Blue Jays consist of 13 internationally born players coming from eight different countries and territories, enhancing the global representation in this year’s championship.
The Dodgers, who are favored to clinch the series and become the first team since the New York Yankees in 1998-2000 to win consecutive championships, secured the third seed in the National League due to the strength of their roster. Starting pitchers for the Dodgers, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, have exhibited exceptional performance in the postseason thus far. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ roster boasts impressive talents like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, who have been pivotal in their postseason run.
This World Series is particularly significant for the Blue Jays, marking their first run at the championship since 1993, following a thrilling postseason that included overcoming a 2-0 deficit against the Mariners in the ALCS. The Dodgers will be determined to maintain their momentum from previous successes, while the Blue Jays strive to capture their first championship title in over three decades.
The complete schedule for the World Series spans from October 27 with a potential Game 7 occurring on November 1, featuring all games broadcasted on FOX. As fans from both sides rally behind their teams, this year’s World Series is not only a clash of talent but also a celebration of the game’s expansion beyond the United States.
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Additional Resources
- ESPN: Ranking the Best MLB World Series Matchups Since 2000
- Wikipedia: World Series
- ESPN: Dodgers Strongly Favored to Win World Series
- Google Search: Los Angeles Dodgers
- CBS Sports: World Series Schedule 2025 Dodgers vs Blue Jays
- Google Scholar: MLB World Series
- MLB: Dodgers Starting Pitchers Healthy for World Series
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Blue Jays
- Bleacher Report: Maple Leafs and Raptors Adjust Schedules for World Series
- Google News: 2025 MLB World Series
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