News Summary
The Los Angeles Dodgers will defend their title against the Toronto Blue Jays in the upcoming World Series. Game 1 is set for Friday night at Rogers Centre, Toronto. Both teams have showcased impressive performances throughout the postseason, with the Dodgers aiming for back-to-back championships, while the Blue Jays mark their return to the series after overcoming playoff challenges. The World Series is expected to attract a vast global audience, reflecting baseball’s growing popularity.
Toronto, Ontario – The 2025 World Series is set to kick off with the Los Angeles Dodgers defending their title against the Toronto Blue Jays in a highly anticipated matchup. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Dodgers enter the series favored to win as they aim to become the first team since the New York Yankees (1998-2000) to secure back-to-back championships.
The MLB postseason has seen a significant surge in viewership this year, averaging 4.48 million viewers in the U.S., which is a remarkable 13% increase compared to last year and the highest viewership since 2017. The excitement peaked during the American League Championship Series (ALCS) with Game 7 between the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, which captured the attention of 15.03 million viewers including Canadian audiences. Within the U.S., the game alone attracted 9.03 million viewers across various FOX platforms, marking it the most-watched ALCS game since 2017.
In Canada, the same game became a record-breaker for the Blue Jays, achieving an average viewership of 6 million on Sportsnet, making it the most-watched Blue Jays game ever. Overall, the viewership for the entire ALCS averaged 9.39 million, showing a significant 60% increase from last season’s average of 5.88 million viewers.
The Dodgers also made headlines with their performance, sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers and attaining the status of the most-watched National League Championship Series (NLCS) in Japan, where they recorded 7.34 million average viewers. Game 4 of the NLCS featuring Shohei Ohtani delivered exceptional ratings, drawing 10.26 million viewers in Japan, making it the second most-watched League Championship Series game in the country’s history.
MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. noted the upcoming World Series as a showcase of baseball’s global reach, emphasizing the diverse rosters with players hailing from eight different countries and territories. The Dodgers boast international stars including Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Teoscar Hernández (Dominican Republic), and Kiké Hernández (Puerto Rico), while the Blue Jays highlight talents such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Canada), Alejandro Kirk (Mexico), and Andrés Giménez (Venezuela).
This World Series will be broadcast across 203 countries and territories in 16 languages through 44 media partners, further underscoring the league’s expansive audience. The Dodgers enter the series as the third seed in the National League but were widely considered strong contenders throughout the season due to their robust roster and competitive performance.
The Dodgers will be relying on starting pitchers Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who both excelled in the NLCS. In contrast, the Blue Jays come into the series with standout performances from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, marking a return to the World Series for the franchise for the first time since 1993. This postseason run is particularly memorable for the Blue Jays, as they overcame a 2-0 series deficit against the Mariners to advance to the World Series.
The complete schedule for the World Series is set, including potential Game 7 on November 1, with all games to be broadcast on FOX, as baseball fans around the world look forward to an exhilarating series. As both teams prepare for this historic matchup, the stage is set for the Dodgers and Blue Jays to battle for the championship title.
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Additional Resources
- ESPN: Ranking the Best MLB World Series Matchups Since 2000
- Wikipedia: World Series
- ESPN: Dodgers Strongly Favored to Win World Series
- Google Search: Los Angeles Dodgers
- CBS Sports: World Series Schedule 2025 Dodgers vs Blue Jays
- Google Scholar: MLB World Series
- MLB: Dodgers Starting Pitchers Healthy for World Series
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Blue Jays
- Bleacher Report: Maple Leafs and Raptors Adjust Schedules for World Series
- Google News: 2025 MLB World Series
Author: STAFF HERE INDIANAPOLIS WRITER
The INDIANAPOLIS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREIndianapolis.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Indianapolis, Marion County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Indianapolis 500, Indy Jazz Fest, and the Indiana State Fair. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Indy Chamber and Visit Indy, plus leading businesses in motorsports and healthcare that power the local economy such as Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IU Health. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Indiana's dynamic landscape.
