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Venezuela defeated Team USA, 3-2, in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) finals on Tuesday, and the game was historic in more ways than one.
Venezuela won its first WBC title and the players flooded the field with excitement and pride as they celebrated the exciting victory.
History was also made during the broadcast when 10,784,000 viewers watched the finale on FOX and FOX Deportes.
It became the most watched WBC broadcast of all time.
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Fox Sports host Tom Verducci interviews MVP Maikel García of Venezuela and his translator after a 3-2 win against the United States at LoanDepot Park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
The broadcast averaged 10,228,000 viewers, while it peaked at 12,148,000 between 10:30 and 10:45 pm ET on FOX.
This number increased 128% from the WBC final between the United States and Japan on FS1 during the 2023 tournament, when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to seal a third WBC victory for his country.
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While this game had all the excitement, the WBC turned out to be an exciting tournament from the start with pool play.
Whether it was heartwarming stories like Ondřej Satoria’s Japanese fans cheering at the Tokyo Dome during his final game for the Czech Republic or Italy’s espresso machine home run celebration, spectators from all over tuned in to watch the magic happen on the diamond.
Fox Sports host Tom Verducci interviews manager Omar Lopez of Team Venezuela after a 3-2 win against the United States at CreditDepot Park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The tournament averaged 1,294,000 viewers on FOX, FS1 and FS2, making it the most watched WBC in its 20-year history on English-language networks.
It looked like Venezuela was going to shut out Team USA, which had just two hits and four baserunners in the bottom of the eighth inning when Bryce Harper walked to the plate.
The game took a turn when Harper hit a two-run home run to tie the game during the largest viewing window.
Venezuela, however, never blinked. Eugenio Suárez hit a line drive to left center field, scoring the winning run with a double.
Members of the Venezuela team celebrate with their gold medals after defeating the United States 3-2 at LoanDepot Park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Daniel Palencia closed things out for Venezuela, sealing the victory with a strikeout of Roman Anthony. The party continued for Venezuela at CreditDepot Park.
