Observed Signal · Nov 30, 2025 · Measurement · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
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.
Record linear-TV audiences demonstrate live sports’ continued value for reach and advertiser demand, validating broadcasters’ ownership strategies and affecting TV/CTV inventory and measurement considerations.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Rogers Communications’ Game 7 broadcast of the 2025 World Series averaged 10.9 million viewers.
- The seven-game series averaged 7.5 million viewers, with each matchup setting new viewership benchmarks for the Blue Jays.
- The series reached approximately 45% of the Canadian population.
- The only English-language broadcast in Canada to draw a larger audience was the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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.
Stanley Cup Final Biggest in Seven Years; DIRECTV Users Shift
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final is the most-watched Game 1 since 2019 (Game 1 averaged 4.78 million viewers on ABC) and playoff viewership is up sharply year-over-year. A carriage-contract lapse between DIRECTV and E.W. Scripps at the end of May left subscribers in twelve major local markets without their local ABC affiliate on linear TV; DIRECTV authenticated affected subscribers into the ESPN app instead. The switch fragmented audiences mid-series, moving viewers into a different measurement, targeting and inventory environment. The article flags this as a recurring risk for live-sports buys on legacy distributors, notes price increases to DIRECTV’s sports package and real-time churn toward competitors such as YouTube TV, and warns advertisers their campaign plans may not follow audiences that migrate across surfaces.
NBC's Olympic Hockey Broadcast Draws Over 26M Viewers
Team USA’s men's hockey gold-medal win over Canada at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered blockbuster audiences for NBCUniversal: the telecast averaged nearly 21 million viewers and peaked at about 26 million for the game-winning goal. The live broadcast on NBC and Peacock accounted for the majority of the audience despite an early-morning start for east-coast viewers. NBC Sports called the game its second-most-watched hockey telecast ever (behind the 2010 Vancouver final), and outlets reported it was the most-watched U.S. sporting event in history for that early-morning time slot. The Milan–Cortina Games marked a significant ratings rebound versus Beijing 2022, and the women’s hockey final also set a viewership record, peaking near 8 million viewers. The results underscore the continuing value of live sports for reaching large, simultaneous audiences across linear and streaming platforms.
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