When the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays take the field in this year’s World Series, it’ll be more than a baseball title fight. For the first time, one of the “Big Four” championship events (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) will stream live on FOX’s new direct-to-consumer service, FOX One.
Building on nearly two and a half decades of exclusive coverage, the 121st World Series marks a pivotal moment as FOX looks to cement its place in the streaming sports ecosystem. Live sports drive signups, retention, and buzz, and the Dodgers-Blue Jays showdown gives FOX a marquee event to show off FOX One’s features (multi-view, local feeds, cross-brand content). Highlighting its live and on-demand content across FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, FOX News/Business/Weather, local FOX stations, and more.
With major international stars like Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. driving eyeballs to the broadcast, this is a major promotional moment to convert millions of viewers into subscribers for only $19.99 per month ($15 per month for Verizon subscribers).
From Glitch to Grand Slam: FOX One’s Rapid Ascent
At launch, back in August, FOX One came out of the dugout with some annoying bugs (users reported logout glitches and sign-in problems), which is par for the course for brand-new streaming apps. FOX and app partners pushed fixes quickly, and the service has since settled down.
Those early kinks mattered, but they weren’t terminal, as the app has since pulled strong early numbers during the sports-heavy season. FOX One passed the million-subscriber mark pretty quickly, and analysts are watching live event performance closely as the key growth lever.
As viewers are ditching traditional broadcast and pay-TV for streaming, around 40% of sports fans now go digital-only. Big sporting events convert casual viewers into subscribers and create huge concurrent-viewership spikes that test platform reliability and scale. If FOX One delivers the World Series with a clean, frictionless experience, it’ll continue to win big and build consumer trust for future global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Though this is the first of the Big Four championships on FOX One, earlier this year, FOX-owned Tubi streamed the Super Bowl. The broadcast on the FAST platform broke streaming records, peaking at an estimated 15.5 million concurrent viewers. That’s proof that a FOX streaming portfolio can handle enormous live audiences and that streaming big events is a viable strategy for the company. Tonight’s game on FOX One is the next logical step, but beyond the postseason finale, the company could add more MLB windows.
After ESPN decided to opt out of the final years of its current MLB contract, the league has games up for grabs for the 2026-2028 seasons. Though Netflix and NBC are other possible suitors, FOX has shown interest in those available games.
The company currently pays around $728 million for its MLB package, which is set to expire at the end of 2028, and has said that it would look at baseball games based on the context of how it “makes sense” overall. If the World Series proves to be a success for its standalone streamer, it could translate into more regular live rights in future seasons, giving fans more reasons to subscribe, yet adding to further fragmentation in sports.
What’s New for the 2025 World Series
Familiar faces will return for FOX Sports’ World Series coverage, including a combined 51 postseason appearances between analysts. In the booth, veteran play-by-play announcer Joe Davis will be joined by Hall of Famer John Smoltz. On-field reporting and on-the-diamond updates will be handled by Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci.
The on-site studio show, which begins an hour before the first pitch, is anchored by Kevin Burkhardt. He’ll be joined by World Series champions and heavy hitters Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodriguez. The star-studded desk will provide. for deep game insight and conversational, must-watch TV for viewers at home.
FOX Tech Brings Every Angle + Every Sound
Beyond the DTC service and studio coverage, FOX Sports is swinging for the fences with its World Series tech arsenal, turning the Fall Classic into a showcase of innovation. Augmented Reality steps into the spotlight, powering futuristic visuals like the upgraded UmpCam and dynamic Swing Tracker graphics that bring fans closer to the action than ever before.
From above, Beverly Hills Aerials returns with precision-piloted drones capturing cinematic overhead shots, while DirtCams and FlyCams offer gritty, ground-level drama. On the field and in the stands, a fleet of 20 operated cameras—including 10 high-speed units—join forces with wireless RF MOVI rigs, robotic cams, and POV setups to cover every angle. And for the soundscape, over 50 microphones are deployed, turning every moment into a sonic experience. Catch the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and even the shuffle of cleats as some mics are discreetly tucked inside the bases themselves.
How to Watch the 2025 World Series Live Without Cable
In addition to FOX One, cord cutters can watch the 2025 World Series between the Blue Jays and Dodgers live on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or any other compatible device with a live TV streaming service. FOX is available to stream on many popular services, including Sling TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV.
You can also watch the World Series for free with an antenna, with the FOX Sports app, and the Spanish-language broadcast on FOX Deportes.
When to Watch the 2025 World Series
- Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24, 8:00 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jays
- Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:00 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jays
- Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Dodgers
- Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 8:00 p.m. ET: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Dodgers
- Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 8:00 p.m. ET: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Dodgers*
- Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31, 8:00 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jay*
- Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1, 8:00 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jays*
*If necessary