The 2025 MLB Tokyo Series between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers set multiple international records and marked a historic moment for baseball’s global growth.
Game 1 Becomes Most-Watched MLB Game in Japan
The opening game of the Tokyo Series averaged more than 25 million viewers across all platforms, making it the most-watched Major League Baseball game in Japan’s history. Game 2 followed with more than 23 million viewers. Combined, the two games outdrew the 2024 Seoul Series by nearly 7 million viewers and more than tripled the 2019 Tokyo Series’ two-game average of 7.7 million.
U.S. Broadcast Sets Opening Day Record for Asia
According to a Major League Baseball press release, “In the U.S., where the game started at 5 a.m. in Chicago and 3 a.m. in Los Angeles, the first game of the Tokyo Series averaged 838,000 viewers on FOX, making it MLB’s best performance ever for an Opening Day game played in Asia. The first game average was a +139% increase over last year’s 350,000 viewers for the first game of the Seoul Series, which also featured the Dodgers. Together, Game 1 and Game 2 (361,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1) averaged 590,000 viewers, an increase of +59% over last year’s average for the Seoul Series.”
Game 1’s early-morning broadcast drew MLB’s largest U.S. audience for an overseas Opening Day game. Combined with Game 2, the Tokyo Series averaged 590,000 viewers on FOX and FS1—up nearly 60 percent from the 2024 Seoul Series.
Merchandise and Fan Engagement Hit New Highs
The Tokyo Series broke international event records for merchandise sales, with the MLB Official Store at the Tokyo Dome averaging more than 1,000 transactions per hour and moving more than half a million products.
Fanatics, which managed the official store and retail operations throughout the city, reported the Tokyo Series as the company’s top-selling special event across all sports, generating $40 million in merchandise and trading card sales. Fanatics Collectibles president David Leiner said the event “just poured gasoline on the fire” of MLB’s rising popularity in Japan, according to The Athletic.
More than 200,000 fans shopped at Fanatics-run locations during the week. Meanwhile, the MLB Tokyo Series Fan Fest drew over 450,000 attendees, setting a new record as the most-visited fan festival in Major League Baseball history.
Tokyo Dome Attendance and Historic Firsts
The six games at the Tokyo Dome—including four exhibitions and two official Tokyo Series games—drew a combined attendance of 252,795. That total included matchups between the Dodgers and Cubs, Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants, and Hanshin Tigers.
Roki Sasaki became the second-youngest pitcher born in Japan to start a Major League game, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Sasaki was 23 years and 136 days old when he took the mound against the Cubs on March 19. Only Tomo Ohka, who started for the Boston Red Sox on July 19, 1999, at 23 years and 123 days old, was younger.
Roki Sasaki is the second youngest pitcher born in Japan to start a game in MLB.
-Tomo Ohka (23 years, 123 days) 7/19/1999 BOS.
-Roki Sasaki (23 years, 136 days)
today LA.— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) March 19, 2025
Sarah Langs of MLB also reported that Sasaki joined a select group of Japanese-born pitchers who made Opening Day appearances at the Tokyo Dome. That list includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga on March 18, 2025, Yusei Kikuchi on March 21, 2019, and Hideki Okajima and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who both debuted on March 25, 2008.
Japanese-born pitchers to pitch in a regular-season MLB game at the Tokyo Dome:
3/19/25 Roki Sasaki (start)
3/18/25 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (start)
3/18/25 Shota Imanaga (start)
3/21/19 Yusei Kikuchi (start)
3/25/08 Hideki Okajima
3/25/08 Daisuke Matsuzaka (start)— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 19, 2025
Tokyo Dome’s Legacy as MLB’s Opening Day Stage
The Tokyo Dome has hosted six MLB Opening Day series. In 2000, the New York Mets faced the Chicago Cubs. In 2004, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays faced the New York Yankees. In 2008, the Boston Red Sox played the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics returned in 2012 to face the Seattle Mariners. In 2019, the Mariners played the A’s again. Most recently, in 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the season against the Chicago Cubs.
Next Up for MLB in Mexico
The Boston Red Sox will face the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in a two-game exhibition series on March 24 and 25 at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. First pitch is set for 9:10 p.m. Eastern on March 24 and 7:10 p.m. Eastern on March 25.
Photo Source: AP Photo / Eugene Hoshiko
