With Ohtani and Yamamoto playing, the World Series averaged a record 12.9 million viewers in Japan

LOS ANGELES (AP) — With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto making their first appearance, the World Series averaged 12.9 million viewers in Japan, making it the most-watched Fall Classic in the nation’s history. Along with the United States ratings, the five-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees had a combined 28.7 million average in the two countries. Tokyo is 19 hours ahead of New York and 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles, meaning the games started around 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday morning in Japan. The Series also delivered record viewership in Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Taiwan, according to MLB.