World Series Game 3 18-Inning Marathon TV Ratings Fall 24%

This blog post dives into the wild 18-inning marathon between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the World Series. The matchup delivered high drama but ran into serious ratings trouble in the U.S. thanks to the NFL’s “Monday Night Football.”

Let’s take a look at how the viewership played out, how it stacks up to past seasons, and what the game meant for fans across North America and even overseas.

A Historic Marathon with Mixed Ratings Results

Monday night’s Game 3 of the World Series wasn’t just long—it was absolutely epic. Eighteen innings tested everyone’s patience, including the players.

The Dodgers barely topped the Blue Jays, 6–5, after Freddie Freeman smashed a home run in the 18th. That’s the kind of moment you hope for in the postseason.

Still, the game only averaged 11.31 million U.S. viewers. That’s down 17% from last year’s Dodgers-Yankees Game 3.

It’s a tough pill for Major League Baseball, but honestly, going up against a huge NFL broadcast is never easy.

Monday Night Football’s Oversized Influence

At the same time, ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” pulled in 17.6 million viewers across its platforms. This kind of direct clash rarely happens—since 1986, the World Series has landed on a Monday just ten times, and only five of those overlapped with MNF on network TV.

For the second time in three years, the NFL outdrew the World Series on a Monday. Football just has a grip on the national audience that baseball can’t always match.

Late Finish, Low Average Audience

West Coast fans got a treat with those extra innings in prime time. But for folks on the East Coast, the game wrapped up close to 3 a.m. Eastern.

That’s brutal. A lot of people just couldn’t stay up to see the ending, which probably dragged down the average viewership.

Peaks and Valleys in the Ratings

There were still some big moments. U.S. viewership hit a high of 13.17 million during extra innings.

It’s proof that when the stakes go up, baseball can still grab attention. The total U.S. and Canadian audience reached 17.62 million, which is a solid 27% bump over last year’s Game 3.

International Reach and Canadian Surge

Canadian fans showed up in force with the Blue Jays in the mix. The game aired nationally on Sportsnet, which is owned by the Jays’ parent company Rogers Communications.

This tight connection between broadcaster and team boosted local interest and helped drive up the cross-border numbers.

The Bigger Picture Through Three Games

Zooming out, the first three games of the World Series have averaged 18.73 million combined viewers in the U.S. and Canada. That’s a healthy 25% jump from last year.

It looks like the series is clicking with fans, even if individual games have their ups and downs.

The Unseen Numbers: Japan

We still don’t have Japan’s ratings for Game 3. But Games 1 and 2 averaged 10.7 million viewers there.

That’s huge. The World Series really does have global pull.

What It Means for MLB’s Broadcasting Future

Game 3 showed both the excitement and the headaches of October baseball in prime time. The cross-border numbers are encouraging.

But losing out to the NFL, again, makes you wonder if MLB needs to rethink its schedule to dodge football’s shadow. Maybe it’s time for a new playbook?

Key Takeaways

From a sports media perspective, the Game 3 ratings story isn’t straightforward. Here’s what stands out:

• The game averaged 11.31 million U.S. viewers, a 17% drop from last year’s Game 3.
• “Monday Night Football” pulled in 17.6 million viewers and outpaced the World Series.
• The game finished at 3 a.m. Eastern, which probably hurt the average viewership.
• At its peak, 13.17 million U.S. viewers tuned in during extra innings.
• Combined U.S. and Canadian viewership jumped 27% over last year’s Game 3.
• After three games, the total viewership is up 25% compared to last year.
• International interest, especially in Japan, still looks strong.

 
Here is the source article for this story: G3 marathon sees audience drop from last year