MLB Commissioner Excited for ‘Crisp, Athletic’ 2025 Season Fueled by International growth
PHOENIX – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is optimistic about the 2025 season, citing recent growth in attendance, viewership, and international reach as key drivers.
“Our clubs are telling us that they expect that we’ll be up, attendance-wise, for the third year in a row,” Manfred told reporters at Spring Training Media Day Tuesday. “Our ratings across all our platforms were up [in 2024], and we’re particularly excited that our 18-34s [age range] were up. It’s a real focus to make sure we have the youngest possible audience.”
Manfred attributes this momentum to last year’s captivating postseason,which concluded wiht a World Series drawing the highest average and total ratings since 2016.
“It was not just the World Series,” Manfred emphasized. “We had great series earlier in the playoffs, great individual games and a really captivating mix in the postseason.”
Japan Sensations Driving Global Interest
The participation of Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the World Series drew record ratings in Japan, underscoring growing international interest. The offseason saw several Japanese players, including Roki Sasaki, Tomoyuki sugano, and Shinnosuke Ogasawara, join MLB teams from Nippon Professional Baseball.
This trend will continue as the 2025 regular season kicks off with the Tokyo Series between the Cubs and Dodgers in Japan on March 18-19.
“We do continue to attract the best players in the world to play in Major League Baseball,” Manfred said. “we had astounding audiences in Korea and Japan last year. The opener in Korea was the biggest Japanese audience we ever had. And we had games during the World Series where the audience in Korea and japan rivaled the U.S. and Canada.”
Bringing Baseball to Unexpected places
Adding to the excitement of the upcoming season is an innovative game at bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. The MLB Speedway Classic will see the Reds and Braves face off at the historic venue on August 2.
“That’s another different experiance,” Manfred said of the Speedway Classic, “that will be different for fans and taking baseball someplace we don’t play day in and day out.”
**Beyond customary games, what innovative experiences is MLB incorporating to attract new and younger audiences?**
MLB Commissioner excited for ‘Crisp, athletic’ 2025 Season fueled by International growth
PHOENIX – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is optimistic about the 2025 season, citing recent growth in attendance, viewership, and international reach as key drivers.
“Our clubs are telling us that they expect that we’ll be up, attendance-wise,for the third year in a row,” Manfred told reporters at Spring Training Media Day Tuesday. “Our ratings across all our platforms were up [in 2024], and we’re particularly excited that our 18-34s [age range] were up.It’s a real focus to make sure we have the youngest possible audience.”
Manfred attributes this momentum to last year’s captivating postseason,which concluded wiht a World series drawing the highest average and total ratings since 2016.
“It was not just the World Series,” manfred emphasized. “We had great series earlier in the playoffs, great individual games and a really captivating mix in the postseason.”
Japan Sensations Driving Global Interest
The participation of Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the World Series drew record ratings in Japan, underscoring growing international interest. The offseason saw several japanese players, including Roki Sasaki, Tomoyuki sugano, and Shinnosuke Ogasawara, join MLB teams from Nippon Professional Baseball.
this trend will continue as the 2025 regular season kicks off with the Tokyo Series between the Cubs and Dodgers in Japan on March 18-19.
“We do continue to attract the best players in the world to play in Major League Baseball,” Manfred said. “we had astounding audiences in Korea and Japan last year. The opener in Korea was the biggest Japanese audience we ever had. And we had games during the World Series where the audience in Korea and japan rivaled the U.S. and Canada.”
Bringing Baseball to Unexpected places
Adding to the excitement of the upcoming season is an innovative game at bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. The MLB Speedway Classic will see the Reds and Braves face off at the historic venue on August 2.
“That’s another different experiance,” Manfred said of the Speedway Classic, “that will be different for fans and taking baseball someplace we don’t play day in and day out.”
Q&A: Get Ready for the 2025 MLB Season
**Q: What’s driving the positive momentum in MLB right now?**
**A:** Commissioner Manfred points to three key factors: growing attendance, increased viewership across all platforms, especially among younger demographics, and a surge in international interest.
**Q: What can fans expect from the 2025 season?**
**A:** Get ready for a “crisp, athletic” season! The MLB plans to continue showcasing exciting young talent and innovative experiences like the Speedway Classic in bristol, Tennessee.
**Q: How is MLB engaging international fans?**
**A:** The league is actively attracting top international players, like Shohei ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and hosting games in key markets like Japan and Korea. The season opener in Tokyo will be a major highlight.
**The 2025 season promises to be a thrilling ride for baseball fans worldwide – don’t miss a pitch!**
