{"id":2322486,"date":"2026-03-11T02:45:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T02:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2322486"},"modified":"2026-03-11T02:45:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T02:45:52","slug":"team-usa-and-bobby-witt-jr-boost-kansas-city-wbc-ratings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/team-usa-and-bobby-witt-jr-boost-kansas-city-wbc-ratings\/","title":{"rendered":"Team USA and Bobby Witt Jr. boost Kansas City WBC ratings"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The 2026 World Baseball Classic has already been a success among sports fans. And the excitement has generated attention across the globe.<\/p>\n

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A lot of credit goes to Team USA. The baseball powerhouse drew two of the highest game viewerships<\/a> in recent memory.<\/p>\n

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On March 7, Team USA faced Great Britain in Pool B play. The game registered 2.98 million viewers across the country. It was the most-watched non-final WBC game on any telecast with peak viewership reaching 3.74 million viewers on FOX.<\/p>\n

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Kansas City was at the forefront of the action. There was a large section of baseball fans who tuned in from the metro. KC registered a 2.71 rating<\/a> (the percentage of households watching) live.<\/p>\n

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That number trailed only Philadelphia (3.26 rating) as the top viewership market in the country. St. Louis came in third with a 2.40 rating.<\/p>\n

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The #WorldBaseballClassic<\/a> on FOX is a hit as Team USA dominates in its first two outings of the tournament!<\/p>\n

\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 at \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8: 2.98 Million Viewers
\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 at \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7: 2.64 Million Viewers<\/p>\n

Through Sunday, average #WBC<\/a> viewership is up +142% (across FOX, FS1 and FS2) over 2023. pic.twitter.com\/fKyAdvQqIU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) March 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

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A day earlier, KC sat atop the charts in the ratings.<\/p>\n

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On March 6, millions of fans tuned into Team USA\u2019s matchup against Brazil. It was the most-watched sporting event on the day with 3.13 million viewers watching from 8:45-9 p.m. Central.<\/p>\n

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KC registered a 3.45 rating during the game. This time, Philadelphia (2.66), St. Louis (2.47), Milwaukee (2.12) and Tulsa (1.99) rounded out the top 5.<\/p>\n

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A big reason: Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.<\/p>\n

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Witt stars for Team USA in the global tournament. And the national telecast has given Royals fans a chance to see him in action.<\/p>\n

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So far, Witt has dazzled with his defense<\/a>. He made two terrific plays in Monday\u2019s game against Mexico at Daikin Park in Houston. He added a pair of extra-base hits while leading Team USA to a 5-3 victory.<\/p>\n

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Team USA finished Pool B play against Italy. Witt got a chance to play against Royals teammates Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

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Related Stories from Kansas City Star<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Jaylon Thompson<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Kansas City Star<\/span><\/p>\n

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Jaylon Thompson covers the Royals for The Kansas City Star. He previously covered the 2021 World Series and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n