Game 1 of the Yankees-Dodgers World Series was a TV ratings bonanza

The World Series clash between the star-studded Yankees and Dodgers was supposed to provide a thrilling best-of-seven finale to the MLB season, and that’s exactly what happened in Game 1 with Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam.

This hype – combined with the audience potential that New York and Los Angeles offered – also affected Fox’s television ratings.

Game 1 drew 15.2 million viewers Friday night during the Dodgers’ 6-3 win – peaking at 17.8 million viewers as of 11:30 p.m. – making it the most-watched opening game of the World Series since the Los Angeles showdown and the Astros in 2017. According to the network, this reflects a 62 percent increase in viewership for Game 1 compared to last year’s Fall Classic between the Diamondbacks and Rangers.

The Yankees-Dodgers crowd was also greeted with a thrilling conclusion to Game 1.

After the Yankees took a one-run lead in the 10th inning, Jake Cousins ​​singled Gavin Lux before Tommy Edman hit an infield single, prompting Yankees manager Aaron Boone to bring in Nestor Cortes – one Starter who hasn’t pitched in a game since September. 18 while recovering from a left elbow flexor strain – against left-hander Shohei Ohtani.

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Cortes retired Ohtani thanks to a highlight-reel catch by Alex Verdugo, but after Boone elected to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, Freeman scored on Cortes’ next pitch, sending him 409 feet over the right field fence for the win to secure.

That led to an iconic call from Fox play-by-play broadcaster Joe Davis, who referred to longtime Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and his call of Kirk Gibson’s legendary home run in the 1988 World Series with a “She’s gone.” Sentence referred to as the ball cleared the pitch wall – before adding, “Gibby, this is Freddie” as Freeman approached first base.

It’s not the first strong viewership this postseason, as the Mets and Brewers set an ESPN ratings record for Game 3 of their NL Wild Card Series – when Pete Alonso hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning to lead the Mets to victory save. Postseason run – averaging 4.017 million viewers and peaking at 5.745 million.

According to Forbes, MLB also saw a league-wide increase in ratings this postseason in the first three rounds.

The Dodgers will try to take a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic when Yoshinobu Yamamoto – the Japanese star in his first MLB season who has allowed just two runs on six hits with 10 in his last two playoff starts Hitting – trying to get out duel Carlos Rodon, who was also strong for the Yankees in his second and third starts of the postseason.