The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, in which Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout had a final confrontation, produced the best box office performance ever.
On the 23rd (Korean time), US Sports Media Watch released the number of viewers for the final match between Japan and the US.
According to this, the final was watched by 4.97 million people in the United States. This far exceeds the 3.05 million viewers of the US-Puerto Rico final match in 2017.
Also, this is more than the 4.88 million in Game 4 of last year’s National League Championship Series (NLCS). In other words, it showed interest comparable to the major league postseason.
From the final matches to the process and result, it was like a drama. It was the beginning that the United States and Japan, which the Major League Secretariat wanted the most, faced each other in the final.
The United States, which was expected to finish first in the first round of the finals, lost to Colombia and advanced to the quarterfinals with second place in Group C, raising the possibility of a final match against Japan.
Afterwards, the U.S. 안전놀이터 and Japan won the quarterfinals and semifinals to face each other in the final. Here, Ohtani’s relief appearance in the final was mentioned, and the atmosphere became more heated.
Also, in the 9th inning of the finals, Ohtani and Trout faced each other with one run. Even if a scene like this appears in a drama or a movie, it is a scene worthy of criticism because it is contrived.
Los Angeles Angels teammates I met at the climax. Ohtani struck out on a 102 mph four-seam fastball and an 87 mph sweeper to secure Japan’s championship.
Now, the WBC has grown into a tournament that shows great interest in the United States. The next competition will be held in 2026. What remains now is the appearance of a major league special starting pitcher.