Brewers-Dodgers NLCS Ratings Draws Decade-High TV Viewership

The 2026 National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers was a matchup of the top two records in baseball.

The Dodgers were attempting to advance to the World Series in hopes of securing their third consecutive title, while the Brewers were chasing their first trip to the Fall Classic in 44 years.

The matchup and stakes for each team made for some compelling television for the general public. The 2026 NLCS had the best average viewership for an LCS on any network since 2015.

The 7,533,000 viewers who tuned in to watch the Brewers and Dodgers was a 77% increase when compared to the 2025 American League Championship Series on Fox/FS1 through Game 4.

Before it became clear that the Brewers would be in control, the 2026 NLCS averaged 7,979,000 viewers. That was the best start for an LCS through three games since 2009 and the best three-game start to an NLCS on any network since 2006.

The NLCS 2026 also delivered single-game highs, with the best performing Game 2 and Game 3 telecast on any network since 2016. The Game 4 telecast had its biggest audience on any network since 2018.

The series’ strong viewership is an encouraging sign of the sport’s health, but it also serves as a sobering reminder of what fans stand to lose as a lockout looms on the horizon.

The lesson ownership should take from the 2026 NLCS will likely fall on deaf ears. The latest round of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) included discussions of a 154-game schedule, an expanded Division Series, and more postseason changes. These items were attached to the inclusion of a salary cap, which the union remains staunchly against.

World Series schedule

The Brewers moved on to the World Series where they will take on the Tampa Bay Rays for the title. It’s the first time the Brewers and Rays are ever meeting in the playoffs.

The Brewers have home-field advantage for the 2026 World Series by virtue of finishing with the best record in baseball this year at 103-59.

All World Series games this year will air live on Fox and be available for streaming via Fox One.

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m. PT, American Family Field (Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox One)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m. PT, American Family Field (Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox One)
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26, 5 p.m. PT, Tropicana Field (Fox/Fox Deportes)/Fox One
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 5 p.m. PT, Tropicana Field (Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox One)
Game 5*: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5 p.m. PT, Tropicana Field (Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox One)
Game 6*: Friday, Oct. 30, 5 p.m. PT, American Family Field (Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox One)
Game 7*: Saturday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m. PT, American Family Field (Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox One)