Kansas City Tops Viewership for Most-Watched WBC Final

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The 2026 World Baseball Classic final between Team USA and Team Venezuela was the most-watched WBC game in history, drawing 10,784,000 viewers. Kansas City topped the nation's ratings markets for the game, with a 9.28 rating, followed by Philadelphia (8.16) and Boston (6.74). The game featured four Kansas City Royals players, which likely contributed to the city's strong viewership.

Why it matters

The record-breaking viewership for the 2026 WBC final underscores the growing popularity of the international baseball tournament, which has become a major event on the sports calendar. Kansas City's leading viewership market status also highlights the city's passionate baseball fan base and the Royals' strong regional appeal.

The details

FOX Sports PR announced that the WBC final was the most-watched WBC game ever, with viewership peaking at 12,148,000. The game featured four Kansas City Royals players - SS Bobby Witt Jr. for Team USA, and C Salvador Perez, 3B Maikel Garcia and RP Luinder Avila for Team Venezuela. The 10,784,000 total viewers represented a 128% increase from the 2023 WBC final between the US and Japan, and was the most-watched Tuesday program since Game 4 of the 2025 World Series on FOX.

• The 2026 World Baseball Classic final took place on March 21, 2026.

What’s next

The Royals will begin the 2026 MLB season on Friday, March 27 against the Atlanta Braves.