Venezuela wins first WBC title on FOX; The final draws recorded 10.7 million viewers

Venezuela won Her first ever WBC title, the players flooded the court with emotion and pride as they celebrated the exciting victory.

History was also made during the telecast when 10,784,000 viewers watched the final on FOX and FOX Deportes.

It became the most watched WBC telecast of all time.

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Fox Sports anchor Tom Verducci interviews FIFA World Player of the Year Michael Garcia of Venezuela and his translator after a 3-2 win over the United States at Loan Depot Park on March 17, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The telecast averaged 10,228,000 viewers, while peaking at 12,148,000 from 10:30 to 10:45 PM ET on FOX.

This number is up 128% from the USA-Japan WBC Championship final on FS1 during the 2023 tournament, when Shuhei Otani Mike Trout struck out to earn his country’s third WBC win.

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Although this was an action-packed game, the WBC Championship turned into an exciting tournament from the start with pool play.

Whether it was feel-good stories like the standing ovation Ondřej Satoria received from Japanese fans in the Tokyo Dome during his recent trip to the Czech Republic or celebrating with his Italian espresso machine at home, viewers from all over the world tuned in to watch the magic happen on the diamond.

Fox Sports anchor Tom Verducci interviews Venezuela manager Omar Lopez after a 3-2 win over the United States at Loan Depot Park on March 17, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The tournament averaged 1,294,000 viewers across FOX, FS1 and FS2, making it the most-watched WBC tournament in its 20-year history on English-language networks.

It looked as if Venezuela was about to eliminate Team USA, which had just two hits and four base runners in the bottom of the eighth inning when Bryce Harper walked to the plate.

The game was turned on its head when Harper belted a two-run homer to tie the game during the maximum viewing window.

But Venezuela never backed down. Eugenio Suarez hit a rope to left center field, scoring the game-winning goal with a double.

Members of Team Venezuela celebrate their gold medals after defeating the United States 3-2 at LoanDepot Park on March 17, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

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Daniel Palencia closed things out for Venezuela, sealing the win with a goal from Roman Anthony. The ceremony was followed by Venezuela at LoanDepot Park.

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