The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres played a thrilling five-game NLDS earlier in the postseason. With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto playing for the Dodgers and Yu Darvish playing for the Padres, this was must-watch TV in Japan.
Major League Baseball announced some of the Japanese TV ratings for the Dodgers-Padres NLDS on Thursday, and the numbers are truly shocking.
The win-or-go-home Game 5 matchup featuring Yamamoto and Darvish both starting was the most-watched MLB postseason game of all time in Japan. There were 12.9 million average viewers, meaning that about 9.6% of the entire Japanese population was watching the game.
The Dodgers-Padres NLDS Game 5 also out-rated every single game that MLB has played in Japan and Game 1 of the same series, Ohtani's first ever postseason game. That Game 5 also did incredibly well internationally outside of Japan, drawing over 20 million in total global viewership.
This is absolutely incredible news for MLB, who have been actively trying to grow the game internationally. While initiatives like playing regular season games in other countries and engaging in marketing campaigns are helpful, nothing does more to popularize a sport than getting its biggest names playing against each other on the biggest stage.
Shohei Ohtani's historic 2024 season and impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers
The biggest reason why the Dodgers-Padres NLDS series had such high TV ratings is because of Ohtani. Before 2024, Ohtani was already considered the best player in baseball. But in 2024, he has taken his superstardom to new heights.
Ohtani, who will almost certainly become the first designated hitter to win an MVP, became the first player in MLB history to record a 50-50 season with a league-leading 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. Ohtani also led the National League with 130 RBI, 134 runs scored and a 1.036 OPS.
Ohtani's on-field impact has been incredible. He had a career-year at the plate and led an injury-riddled Dodgers team to a 2-1 series lead in the NLCS over the New York Mets, his off-field impact and marketability has also been unprecedented.
Whether it is fans lining up hours before a game for an Ohtani bobblehead, Japanese tour groups overrunning Dodger Stadium or the mind-blowing Japanese TV viewership numbers, Ohtani has turned the Dodgers into a global phenomenon.
If the Dodgers make the World Series, the games that Yamamoto start could out-rate the NLDS Game 5 and be even bigger in Japan. This is truly unprecedented territory for Major League Baseball.
Follow Us
Subscribe
