The Los Angeles Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, boldly predicted that the World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees would attract more viewers than any other series in history. This matchup is seen as a dream come true for Major League Baseball, as it features two massive markets, expansive fan bases, and star players like Shohei Ohtani.
With five former MVPs on the field – Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton – this World Series is expected to be one for the books. It is only the fifth Series since the Wild Card Era started in 1995 to feature the teams with the top record in each league, and the fourth to include the home run leaders in each league.
The first game of the series lived up to the hype, with Freeman hitting a walk-off grand slam to secure a 6-3, 10-inning win for the Dodgers. Ohtani’s jersey is currently the top-selling one in MLB, with Judge, Betts, Soto, and Freeman also ranking high in sales. The international appeal of the World Series is evident in the record television viewership in Japan, where games featuring Ohtani and Yamamoto have drawn massive audiences.
MLB has been proactive in its marketing efforts, launching ad campaigns and digital billboards to promote the series. Social media engagement has increased significantly during the postseason, with platforms like TikTok playing a key role in reaching a wider audience. Fox, the network broadcasting the World Series in the U.S., is hopeful that the matchup between the Dodgers and the Yankees will boost ratings and attract more viewers.
The changing landscape of television and marketing since the last high-rated World Series in 2016 has posed challenges for MLB. However, recent rule changes aimed at increasing action and speeding up games have led to a rise in regular season attendance and viewership for broadcasts on ESPN, Fox, and TBS. Despite some local viewership declines due to external factors like bankruptcy and carriage disputes, MLB remains optimistic about the future of the sport.
Noah Garden, MLB’s deputy commissioner of business and media, emphasized the shifting demographics of viewership and the need to adapt to new marketing strategies in a post-pandemic world. The success of this year’s World Series will be a test of MLB’s ability to engage fans and attract a broader audience across different platforms and regions.
Overall, the Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series presents an exciting opportunity for baseball to showcase its top talent, engage fans around the world, and revitalize interest in the sport. As the series unfolds, it will be interesting to see how MLB continues to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of sports and entertainment.
