The 2025 MLB postseason has kicked off with record-breaking viewership, driven by high-stakes matchups like the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry and strong youth engagement.
The Wild Card Series (September 30-October 3) has delivered historic numbers on ESPN networks, while the Division Series (October 5-12) are concluding, showing solid gains on FOX/FS1 and TBS—projected to be the highest-rated in a decade.
The ALCS (Mariners vs. Blue Jays) starts today on FOX/FS1, and the NLCS (Dodgers vs. Brewers) begins Tuesday on TBS. The World Series is set for October 24 on FOX.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred highlighted the "phenomenal" early returns, noting a 64% surge in Wild Card viewership and sustained momentum into the Division Series, fueled by dramatic series (e.g., Mariners' 15-inning Game 5 win over Tigers) and rule changes like the pitch clock.
Streaming and social metrics are also up, with MLB.TV seeing increased out-of-market access.
⚾Wild Card Series (Best-of-3, ESPN Networks)
All 11 games averaged 4.625 million viewers, a 64% increase from 2024 and the best under the current format (introduced 2022).
- Youth demos surged: +89% for under-35s and +108% for 17-and-under. International highlights included 6.4 million Japanese viewers for Dodgers-Reds Game 1, the most-watched Wild Card game there ever.
- Yankees vs. Red Sox (AL): Yankees won 2-1. Game 3 averaged 7.439 million viewers (peaking at 8.38 million), ESPN's most-watched MLB game since 2021. Series record for viewership.
Other series (e.g., Dodgers swept Reds; full three games in Tigers-Mariners, Blue Jays-Yankees): Contributed to the overall average; specific per-game figures not yet detailed beyond the Yankees-Red Sox outlier.
⚾Division Series (Best-of-5, October 5-12)
Early data shows gains across networks, with FOX/FS1 up ~10-29% in regular-season previews translating to postseason. Full viewership is pending, but MLB projects the highest ratings in 10 years, boosted by big-market teams and extra-inning thrillers. TBS/truTV averaged 462,000 for select games (up 29% YoY), FS1 at 324,000 (up 10%).