ESPN sets viewership records with massive spike in young watchers during Wild Card Series

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New York Yankees Aaron Judge connects for an RBI single against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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2:03 PM on Monday, October 6

By The Associated Press

ESPN set viewership records during baseball's Wild Card Series, fueled by a significant spike in watchers from young demographics.

The network announced Monday that Game 3 of the Boston-New York Yankees series averaged 7,439,000 viewers — a single-game Wild Card Series record under the current format. It was the largest audience for an ESPN baseball game since Boston met the Yankees in a one-game MLB Wild Card playoff in 2021.

The network averaged 4,625,000 viewers for the 11 games, a new high for the current format. Overall viewership for the under-35 demographic jumped 89% from last year and 108% for kids 17 and under. Total viewership for the Wild Card Series was up 64% from last year.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb