After Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, the final of the 2026 World Baseball Classic became another of the most-watched sporting events of the year. It attracted more than 10 million viewers and became the most-watched game in the tournament’s history.
FOX Sports revealed that the game in which Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 in the final at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, was watched by 10,784,000 viewers on FOX and FOX Deportes. It was the most-watched WBC broadcast of all time.
That is 128% more than the final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when the United States faced Japan. Not since Game 4 of the 2025 World Series has such a high rating been recorded for the king of sports.
Overall, the World Baseball Classic averaged a record 1,294,000 viewers on FOX networks, the highest figure in the tournament’s 20-year history.
Echoes of the World Baseball Classic final broadcast
There were two interests in paying attention to the World Baseball Classic final. Fans were eager to see two things:
- Seeing Venezuela win its first title in the tournament. They were able to see it come true after Eugenio Suarez hit a game-winning RBI double in the ninth inning to give his team a 3-2 lead
- Seeing the U.S. team defeated. It was unsettling to see some U.S. players refusing to wear their silver medals after the game.
The criticized reaction of the United States
In a sequence that went viral in a matter of minutes, figures such as Kyle Schwarber and pitcher Mason Miller were seen removing their runners-up medals just seconds after receiving them, even before leaving the field for the clubhouse.
The reaction of the fans was not long in coming. For many, the gesture was a lack of respect for the sporting spirit and the prestige of the international tournament.
Other critics pointed out that this attitude reinforces the stereotype of the American athlete as a “sore loser,” in contrast to the euphoric and respectful celebration of the Venezuelans in Miami.
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