The small-market World Series in Major League Baseball wrapped up this week, with the Milwaukee Brewers winning their first title in franchise history.
asserted
Brewers → wrap → history
The title triumph came 44 years after Milwaukee’s only other trip to the Fall Classic, when they lost to the St Louis Cardinals in seven games in 1982.
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they → come → 1982
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But beyond the memorable victory, the series’ television ratings made for underwhelming reading, raising questions about baseball’s reach and relevance in a United States sports market dominated by American football and basketball.
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ratings → make → football
Al Jazeera breaks down the numbers and more:
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Jazeera → break → numbers
Who played in the 2026 MLB World Series?
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Who → play → Series
The World Series, the championship series of the 2026 MLB season, saw the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays and the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers compete in a best-of-seven playoff series.
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champion → see → series
At the end of the October 23-28 playoff series, Milwaukee were crowned winners, as they clinched their first World Series title.
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they → crown → title
Milwaukee’s 57-year wait for a championship ended on Wednesday after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 to wrap up the Fall Classic in five games.
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wait → end → games
Why didn’t the 2026 World Series capture TV audiences?
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Series → capture → audiences
While the final Nielsen ratings report is still pending, estimates show an average of 11.82 million viewers tuned in for the 2026 World Series across the Fox network.
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average → pende → network
Milwaukee’s 10-1 win at Tampa in Game 3 attracted the lowest audience, 8.33 million, while Game 5, in which Milwaukee sealed the championship, drew the highest with 14.22 million viewers.
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Milwaukee → attract → viewers
The overall average is much lower than the 2025 and 2024 World Series, which drew 15.49 million and 15.1 million viewers, respectively, as the Los Angeles Dodgers won the title both times.
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Dodgers → draw → title
This year’s World Series’ underwhelming viewership could be linked to the two teams’ relatively low payrolls and markets – the Brewers’ payroll ranks 19th in MLB ($146m), and the Rays are 28th ($95m).
uncertain
Rays → link → m
The Brewers also rank as the smallest market team in MLB, generating the lowest local commercial and TV revenue, while the Rays rank squarely in the league’s middle.
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Rays → rank → middle
Hence, when the Brewers and Rays met this year on MLB’s biggest stage, it marked the first World Series clash between two of baseball’s smallest spenders in 35 years.
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it → meet → years
On the other hand, nine-time World Series winners Dodgers, who competed in the last two World Series, boast a star-studded lineup on a hefty payroll, featuring marquee star Shohei Ohtani, former MVP Mookie Betts, 10-time All-Star Freddie Freeman and others.
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who → compete → Ohtani
Those factors keep them in the tier 1 market size category – one that represents the biggest media and population footprints in the sport.
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that → keep → sport
How does the World Series compare with other US sports?
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Series → compare → sports
The 2026 World Series’ viewership figures also pale in comparison to those of other major US sports leagues.
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figures → pale → leagues
Basketball’s 2026 NBA Finals, in which the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 to end a 53-year drought, attracted a series average of 20.58 million viewers.
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Knicks → defeat → viewers
Game 5 was the most-watched NBA Finals game 5 since 1998, averaging 24.54 million viewers and peaking at 33 million.
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Game → watch → million
Elsewhere in international football, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held in North America, also produced record numbers.
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Cup → hold → numbers
Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina delivered a combined average audience of 62.8 million across Fox and Telemundo, making it the most-watched football match ever in the United States.
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it → deliver → States
American football, by far, is the most-watched sport in the US.
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football → watch → US
A Nielsen report found that an estimated 125.6 million viewers watched the National Football League’s Super Bowl LX, as the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13.
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Seahawks → find → Patriots
NBC’s presentation of Super Bowl LX ranked as the second most-watched Super Bowl in history, behind the 127.7 million viewers who watched Super Bowl LIX in 2025.
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who → rank → 2025
The only major American sports league that performs weakly against MLB is the National Hockey League (NHL), a professional ice hockey league in North America.
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that → perform → America
An average of 5.2 million viewers tuned in for the 2026 Stanley Cup, won by the Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2.
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who → tune → Knights
Why was the 2026 MLB London series cancelled?
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series → cancel → ?
MLB initially scheduled to host two games in London in mid-2026, with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays pencilled in to play on June 13 and 14 at London Stadium, the home ground of English football team West Ham United.
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Yankees → schedule → United
But the plan was cancelled due to scheduling issues with the venue and baseball’s television partner.
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plan → cancel → venue
West Ham played their 2025-26 Premier League season’s final match against Leeds United at the ground on May 24, leaving very little time to convert the field to baseball, which can take up to three weeks.
uncertain
which → play → weeks
Furthermore, MLB was unable to schedule games at the same venue later in June because Fox lacked available broadcast slots as that period clashed with the FIFA World Cup.
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period → schedule → Cup
MLB games have been played abroad on several occasions, from Japan to Australia, since it was first played in Mexico in 2000.
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it → play → 2000
MLB is also working on grassroots initiatives in India, known for its affinity for cricket, and last week hosted MLBx, a fast-paced 3-on-3 baseball competition that brought together baseball and softball stars.
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that → work → stars
Are other US sports leagues also held abroad?
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leagues → hold → ?
Yes, major US sports leagues have made strides in expanding their international footprints, regularly hosting regular-season games, exhibition matches and special events abroad.
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leagues → make → games
…and 3 more, not listed.
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