The Los Angeles Dodgers’ journey to Japan was historic for a number of causes, together with record-breaking viewership of the Tokyo Collection.
Extra information: NPB Historian Believes Japanese Gamers Higher Than Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Will Emerge
Recreation 1 of the Tokyo Collection, that includes the primary Opening Day matchup between two Japanese beginning pitchers, averaged greater than 25 million viewers, per Main League Baseball. The matchup between the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs was the most-watched MLB sport within the nation’s historical past.
Roki Sasaki headlined Recreation 2 and made his MLB debut in entrance of a sold-out crowd. The sport averaged over 23 million viewers.
Throughout final season’s Seoul Collection in South Korea, a complete of 18.7 million viewers tuned in for the primary sport of the Dodgers’ rivalry matchup with the San Diego Padres. The Tokyo Collection evidently surpassed these numbers.
The worldwide occasion set data for viewership, merchandise gross sales, and attendances. Moreover, the Dodgers had the prospect to expertise firsthand the electrical energy from Japanese followers on the Tokyo Dome.
Utility man Kiké Hernández believes Latin and Japanese baseball followers share the identical ardour for the sport.
“In terms of simply tradition as it’s, I imagine that the Latin tradition and the Japanese tradition can’t be extra far aside from one another,” Hernández stated. “However in terms of the fervour and the way in which that followers benefit from the sport … it’s the closest factor to it.”
The Tokyo Collection was proof of the Dodgers’ recognition abroad. Supervisor Dave Roberts reiterated the franchise’s aim of “portray Japan blue.”
“We wish full market share of that nation,” Roberts stated. “We wish each younger participant over there to be a Dodger fan. So once they have a possibility to come back over, it’s a no brainer.”
Learn extra: Dave Roberts Says Dodgers Need ‘Full Market Share’ of Japan
Picture Credit score: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Photos
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