Toronto to Host World Series as Dodgers Face Blue Jays

Toronto, October 23, 2025

News Summary

Toronto is gearing up to host the World Series featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. The opening game will be held at Rogers Centre, with both teams aiming to showcase their strengths and international talent. Viewership for MLB postseason games has surged significantly, adding to the excitement around the matchup. The Dodgers are looking to secure back-to-back championships, while the Blue Jays celebrate their return to the World Series after a lengthy absence.

Toronto is set to host the 2025 World Series as the defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, face off against the Toronto Blue Jays. This highly anticipated matchup is drawing significant attention, as it showcases two powerhouse teams with a history of success and a diverse roster. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Rogers Centre, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Dodgers are favored to win, aiming for their second consecutive title, a feat not achieved since the New York Yankees won back-to-back championships from 1998 to 2000.

The 2025 World Series is generating heightened interest, as Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason viewership has surged. Currently, postseason games are averaging 4.48 million viewers in the U.S., reflecting a 13% increase from the previous year and marking the most-watched postseason since 2017. Notably, the American League Championship Series Game 7, where the Blue Jays triumphed over the Seattle Mariners, attracted an impressive average of 15.03 million viewers when combined with Canadian audiences. This game became the most-watched ALCS contest since 2017, drawing 9.03 million viewers across FOX platforms in the U.S. and achieving a remarkable audience of 6 million viewers on Sportsnet in Canada.

Throughout the entire ALCS, which included the thrilling Game 7, the combined viewership from both the U.S. and Canada averaged 9.39 million, representing a robust 60% increase over the previous year’s average of 5.88 million. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ sweep over the Milwaukee Brewers resulted in the most-watched National League Championship Series (NLCS) in Japan with an average of 7.34 million viewers, a 26% increase from the prior year. Particularly striking was NLCS Game 4, featuring a standout performance from Shohei Ohtani, which attracted 10.26 million viewers in Japan, ranking as the second most-watched LCS game in the country.

MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. has emphasized that the 2025 World Series will highlight the global nature of baseball. The series will be broadcast across 203 countries and territories in 16 languages, with 44 media partners collaborating to deliver the games. This global reach is underlined by the diversity within the rosters of both teams, which include 13 internationally born players from eight different countries and territories. The Dodgers’ lineup features key players such as Shohei Ohtani from Japan, Teoscar Hernández from the Dominican Republic, and Kiké Hernández from Puerto Rico. The Blue Jays boast international talents like Canadian Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk from Mexico, and Andrés Giménez from Venezuela.

The Dodgers, despite being the third seed in the National League, have been viewed as strong favorites throughout the season due to the team’s impressive performance. Starting pitchers Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto excelled during the NLCS and are expected to play vital roles in the World Series. On the other side, the Blue Jays are celebrating a triumphant return to the World Series after last qualifying in 1993. This postseason has been especially meaningful for the franchise, having staged a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit against the Mariners.

The full schedule for the series includes the potential for a Game 7 on November 1, with all games set to be broadcast on FOX.

Key Features of the 2025 World Series

• Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays
• Broadcast: 203 countries in 16 languages
• Averaged Viewership: 4.48 million in U.S.
• Game 1 Date: Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre
• Dodgers’ Goal: Seek back-to-back championships
• International Players: 13 players from 8 countries

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HERE Resources

Toronto Blue Jays Set for ALCS Showdown with Seattle Mariners

Additional Resources

• ESPN: Ranking the Best MLB World Series Matchups Since 2000
• Wikipedia: World Series
• ESPN: Dodgers Strongly Favored to Win World Series
• Google Search: Los Angeles Dodgers
• CBS Sports: World Series Schedule 2025 Dodgers vs Blue Jays
• Google Scholar: MLB World Series
• MLB: Dodgers Starting Pitchers Healthy for World Series
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Blue Jays
• Bleacher Report: Maple Leafs and Raptors Adjust Schedules for World Series
• Google News: 2025 MLB World Series

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