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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is expressing satisfaction with how fans have tuned into this year’s postseason, calling the early viewership results “phenomenal” during an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM.
Speaking with Smith, Manfred cited impressive numbers from both the Wild Card and Division Series rounds, emphasizing that the sport’s reach remains strong despite ongoing shifts in media consumption habits.
“Some of the numbers have been phenomenal,” Manfred said. “The Wild Card round on ESPN was up 64%. On the Division Series, we’re going to have our highest ratings in 10 years. That’s a long time to go back, particularly given how the media landscape has changed.”
Manfred’s optimism comes at a time when leagues across sports are competing for attention in an increasingly crowded entertainment space. The Wild Card 64 percent increase in viewership from last year’s Wild Card Series was the highest average for the WCS round since the current format was officially added in 2022. Baseball has long faced questions about maintaining relevance with younger audiences, but the commissioner said the numbers show the game continues to connect on a large scale — both in the U.S. and beyond.
He pointed to the recent matchup between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays as a key example of baseball’s cross-border appeal.
“People talk about you’re going to have a team from Canada,” Manfred said. “The Yankees–Toronto series averaged 6.7 million viewers in the U.S. and Canada. That’s a great showing for us and again is an emphasis on the internationalization of the sport. It’s not just a U.S. sport.”
MLB’s postseason viewership surge follows a regular season that already saw signs of growth. Attendance across the league increased for the second straight year, while streaming and social engagement continued trending upward. Networks like ESPN, FOX, and TBS have also benefited from high-profile matchups and big-market teams advancing deep into the playoffs.
Still, Manfred’s comments suggest he sees the recent success as part of a broader story — one that goes beyond short-term numbers. For a league working to balance tradition with innovation, the commissioner’s upbeat tone reflects confidence in baseball’s ability to evolve while maintaining its unique place in the sports landscape.
“I’ve taken a lot of pride in those numbers,” Manfred added. “I feel great for the game that it’s producing those kinds of results.”
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