Yankees-Dodgers World Series features superstars, historic franchises in what could be ratings bonanza

The 2024 World Series on FOX between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers has the makings to be the highest-rated Fall Classic in years.

The Athletic and Forbes called it a "dream" matchup for FOX Sports, while Baseball America speculated the World Series could exceed the viewership of the NBA Finals. 

World Series ratings have trended downward in recent years in the era of streaming services and options beyond typical television fare, and the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks was the lowest ever with an average of 9 million viewers. 

But baseball fans have surged toward matchups with intriguing storylines; for instance, the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians had an average viewership of 22.8 million as the Cubs won their first championship in over 100 years, and Game 7 had a whopping 40 million viewers. That marked a huge increase over the 2015 New York Mets-Kansas City Royals series (average viewership of 14.5 million).

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The 120th Fall Classic between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers begins Friday at 8:08 p.m. ET on FOX.  (IMAGN/Getty Images)

The 120th Fall Classic arrives on the heels of the National League Championship Series on FOX and FS1 attracting its largest audience since 2019. 

The Yankees and Dodgers are not only two of baseball's most storied franchises, they also represent the country's largest cities and also both U.S. coasts. Their fanbases are spread throughout the country and the iconic Yankee pinstripes and Dodger blues are among the most recognizable sports looks in the world.

The Yankees have won a whopping 27 World Series titles, by far the most of any Major League Baseball team, and are making their 41st appearance overall in the Fall Classic. The Dodgers have won seven World Championships and are making their 22nd overall appearance. This marks the 12th time the two teams have played each other for the championship, but the first since 1981.

Yet despite their historic success, the big-spending teams haven't been playoff juggernauts this century, adding to the significance of winning it all for their demanding fans. 

The Dodgers have been the most dominant National League team for more than a decade, winning 11 West division championships in 12 seasons – the year they didn't, in 2021, they won 106 games, the most ever by a team that didn't capture a division title. But they've won just one World Series in that time, in the COVID-shortened season of 2020, and haven't won a World Series in a normal season since 1988.

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Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are two of MLB's biggest stars. (IMAGN)

The Yankees, meanwhile, haven't even been to the World Series in 15 years despite also being a playoff fixture in that time, putting added pressure on manager Aaron Boone and his crew to get it done this season. Since 1998 to 2000, when they won three in a row, the Yankees have won just one World Series (2009).

And there's a lot to feast on beginning Friday for baseball fans who may not like the teams vying for the title but can admire the talent on display. 

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is a lock for the NL Most Valuable Player award after hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases in one of the greatest individual seasons ever. Former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman bat right behind him. 

The Yankees boast slugger Aaron Judge, the American League MVP shoo-in who led the majors in home runs (58), RBIs (144), and on-base percentage (.458), among other categories, this season, as well as stars Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, who was named MVP of its league championship series win over Cleveland.

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FOX Sports' coverage of the NLCS averaged 5.6 million viewers, a +20% increase from 2023. 

Because the Dodgers had the better regular-season record, the World Series kicks off on Friday night at Dodger Stadium with Game 2 set for Saturday, also in Los Angeles. The teams will travel back to New York for Game 3 on Monday, Game 4 on Tuesday and, if necessary, Game 5 on Wednesday from Yankee Stadium. If needed, the series resumes with Game 6 next Friday and Game 7 next Saturday from Los Angeles. All games start at 8:08 p.m. ET on FOX. 

FOX’s lead booth of Joe Davis and Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz will call the series with reporters Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal set to contribute to coverage of the 120th Fall Classic.

Kevin Burkhardt will anchor FOX MLB studio coverage on-site from Los Angeles and New York alongside first-ballot Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and David Ortiz and World Series champion Alex Rodriguez.

FOX World Series coverage also includes custom-built FPV drones within the field of play, new and improved umpire cameras, multiple "dirtcams" buried in the field of play, 18 operated cameras including with 10 high-speed capture, and enhanced graphics such as Swing Path and Pitch Trax.