Observed Signal · Oct 28, 2025 · Expansion · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
MLB Considers Second Canadian Team After Blue Jays Ratings Surge
Major League Baseball, prompted by the Toronto Blue Jays’ postseason viewership surge, is seriously exploring adding a second Canadian franchise as part of a planned expansion to 32 teams. Commissioner Rob Manfred said multiple Canadian cities are "viable expansion candidates," mentioning Montreal and Vancouver while noting U.S. markets such as Nashville and Salt Lake City remain strong contenders. The Blue Jays’ clinching ALCS game drew a record 6 million viewers on Sportsnet — roughly 15% of Canada’s population — which has renewed league interest in Canada. Manfred also said MLB owners have effectively approved allowing players to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with final logistics to be resolved with the players’ union. The expansion process is described as slow and competitive, with decisions targeted before Manfred’s expected departure in 2029.
Significant live-sports viewership growth (6M on Sportsnet) can influence media-rights valuations, regional distribution plans and advertising inventory; potential new franchise in Canada could create incremental broadcast/streaming inventory and commercial opportunities for advertisers and platforms.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- MLB is planning to expand to 32 franchises and is considering adding a second Canadian team.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred said multiple Canadian cities are "viable expansion candidates," naming Montreal and Vancouver as possibilities.
- The Toronto Blue Jays’ clinching ALCS game pulled in a record 6 million viewers for Sportsnet (~15% of Canada’s population).
- U.S. frontrunners for expansion include Nashville and Salt Lake City; expansion decisions are aimed to be settled before Manfred leaves in 2029.
- MLB owners have signaled support for allowing Major League players to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics; final logistics remain under negotiation with the players' union.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
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Rogers Sets Canadian TV Record with World Series Game 7
Rogers Communications recorded historic Canadian television audiences during the 2025 World Series. Game 7 between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Dodgers averaged 10.9 million viewers — the largest audience Rogers has ever broadcast and surpassed in English-language Canada only by the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The full seven-game series averaged 7.5 million viewers, with each game establishing new viewership benchmarks for the Blue Jays. State of Streaming reports the series reached roughly 45% of Canada’s population. The results are framed as validation of Rogers’ strategy to own the team, stadium and broadcast network, and underscore that national championship sports remain a powerful appointment-viewing channel with significant advertising and audience-reach implications.
MLB Pleased with New TV Deals as Postseason Nears
Major League Baseball's first season under new national media agreements proved successful, according to Commissioner Rob Manfred. NBC returned as a broadcast partner, delivering strong Sunday Night Baseball ratings (2.7 million average viewers, best since 2007), while Fox posted its best MLB season since 2021. Netflix streamed three marquee events, attracting younger audiences despite lower overall numbers for the Home Run Derby. ESPN's role shifted to distributing MLB.TV out-of-market games through its app, with plans to add in-market games in 2027. The league also experimented with local TV distribution, centralizing 14 clubs under its own umbrella and seeing an 8% audience increase. As the postseason begins, MLB is optimistic about the new distribution model's reach and future developments in streaming technology and game discoverability.
ESPN Spring Training Ratings Surge, Tests MLB Streaming Bet
ESPN's linear coverage of 2026 MLB spring training averaged 531,000 viewers across a four-game slate — an 84% year-over-year increase and the network's best spring training audience since 2008, per Nielsen Big Data + Panel measurement. A March 3 Team USA vs. San Francisco Giants exhibition led ESPN with 677,000 viewers. The World Baseball Classic (WBC) acted as a major accelerant: Fox and Fox Deportes' USA vs. Mexico pool-play telecast drew 5,018,000 viewers (5,649,000 peak), a WBC record. The article notes Nielsen’s Big Data methodology inflates ratings roughly 15% versus legacy panels. At the same time, regional sports network (RSN) collapse (Main Street Sports Group) has pushed MLB to absorb local broadcast operations, prompting teams to launch DTC services (Angels.TV at $100/year; Detroit SportsNet at $19.99/month) as the league eyes a national streaming package by 2028. The key industry question is whether tournament-driven viewership translates into sustainable paid local streaming subscriptions.
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