The Los Angeles Dodgers may be in their third straight NLCS, but viewers don’t seem tired of them yet. Thanks in part to an NFL lead-in, the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS opener is breaking records dating back more than 20 years.
Game 1 of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Milwaukee Brewers NLCS last Sunday on Fox and Fox Deportes averaged 10.72 million viewers. According to Fox, that is the most-watched LCS Game 1 since 2005 and the most-watched LCS game of any kind, including Game 7s, since 2010.
The strong viewership was helped by a favorable lead-in, as Dodgers-Brewers aired immediately after an NFL on Fox doubleheader. The second game of that doubleheader, which primarily featured the San Francisco 49ers against the Seattle Seahawks, averaged 26.70 million viewers.
Viewership for Dodgers-Brewers Game 1 peaked at 12.41 million viewers during the first 15 minutes of the game, from 8 to 8:15 p.m.
But that’s not the full story. While Game 1 of the LCS on Fox last year did not feature a direct NFL lead-in, Game 1s in 2023 and 2024 did. In 2024, it was Game 1 of the New York Mets-Dodgers LCS. That game averaged substantially lower viewership, at 8.48 million viewers, including Fox Deportes and streaming. More impressively, that game’s peak (10.08 million viewers from 8 to 8:15 p.m.) was lower than the average audience for the entire Dodgers-Brewers game.
It is possible that Mets-Dodgers could have averaged more viewers if it had been measured under Nielsen’s 2026 standards. Nielsen launched its updated Big Data + Panel measurement methodology in September 2025, incorporating more complete out-of-home data and additional data from set-top boxes and smart TVs. Those changes have generally boosted reported live-sports viewership by about 10% to 15%. While the 26% difference between the 2024 and 2026 audiences could partly reflect those changes, they are unlikely to explain the entire gap.
It would be wrong, though, to attribute this viewership solely to the Dodgers. Local ratings released by Fox show incredibly strong audiences in both Los Angeles and Milwaukee. In Los Angeles, the game averaged a 12.7 rating and a 41 share. The rating represents the percentage of television households in a market watching the game, while the share represents the percentage of households using their televisions at the time that were watching the game. In Milwaukee, the game averaged a 28.7 rating and an impressive 62 share.
Viewership for the remainder of the NLCS will likely be substantially lower, however. For one, no other game will receive an NFL lead-in. But outside of Game 1, only Game 2 and a potential Game 7 will air over the air on Fox. The remaining NLCS games will air exclusively on cable on Fox Sports 1, which will likely lower their viewership ceiling. A potential Game 7 would return to Fox.
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