American Family Field
American Family Field

MILWAUKEE — The 2026 World Series opens Friday night in Milwaukee, where the Brewers host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1. Neither franchise has ever won a championship, so the Series will crown a first-time champion.

Here is how to watch, stream or listen to the opener.

When and where

Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. CDT) Friday at American Family Field. It will be the first World Series game in the ballpark's history and the first in Milwaukee since 1982, when the Brewers played the St. Louis Cardinals at County Stadium.

Like every game in this year's Series, Game 1 has an 8 p.m. Eastern start.

TV channel

Fox has exclusive U.S. television rights to the World Series. Every game airs on the Fox broadcast network, available over the air with an antenna and on most cable and satellite packages.

Joe Davis will call play-by-play, with John Smoltz as analyst. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will report from the field.

Fox's pregame and postgame shows will be hosted by Kevin Burkhardt from the ballpark, with studio analysts Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez. Dontrelle Willis and Eric Karros will contribute analysis.

Spanish-language coverage will air on Fox Deportes.

Streaming options

Viewers without cable have several ways to watch online:

  • Fox One, Fox's streaming service, carries every World Series game live.
  • Fox Sports website and app stream the games for viewers who sign in with an eligible pay-TV provider.
  • Live TV streaming services that carry the local Fox station, including DirecTV and Fubo, also show the games. Both offer free trials for new customers.

Availability of local Fox stations on streaming services can vary by market, so viewers should check their area before signing up.

Radio

ESPN Radio is the exclusive national English-language radio home of the World Series. Jon "Boog" Sciambi will call play-by-play, with analysts Eduardo Pérez and Jessica Mendoza and reporter Buster Olney. The broadcast is also available on the ESPN app and on SiriusXM channel 80.

Fans who want local calls can find them on SiriusXM:

  • Brewers: Channel 203. In Milwaukee, games air on 620 WTMJ with Jeff Levering and Lane Grindle.
  • Rays: Channel 202, with Andy Freed and Neil Solondz.

Pitching matchup

Milwaukee starts Jacob Misiorowski, the 24-year-old right-hander who threw 1,115 pitches of 100 mph or faster this season, by far the most since tracking began in 2008. His first pitch of the NL Division Series against San Diego was clocked at 104.8 mph, the fastest postseason pitch on record. He has not finished the fifth inning in either of his two postseason starts, but he will be pitching on 11 days' rest.

Tampa Bay counters with Nick Martinez, a 36-year-old first-time All-Star who went 3.10 ERA over 180 innings in the regular season. He allowed three runs over nine innings combined in two road starts this postseason.

The Rays are expected to start Drew Rasmussen in Game 2 and Freddy Peralta, the ALCS MVP and a former Brewer, in Game 3.

How they got here

The Brewers won a major league-best 103 games and have lost only once this postseason. They beat San Diego 3-1 in the Division Series and swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

The Rays, who had the American League's best record, swept the New York Yankees in the Division Series. They then rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Cleveland Guardians in six games in the ALCS.

Both teams play a small-ball style. The Rays struck out the fewest times in the majors this season and led the AL in sacrifice bunts.

"If we had a club that was built with a bunch of boppers, we probably wouldn't be bunting and stealing bases," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I think we already have made bunting cool."

The Brewers have been off since completing their NLCS sweep. Manager Pat Murphy dismissed concerns about rust.

"It's a long layoff, and if we want to use it as an excuse, then let people use it as an excuse," Murphy said, "but I refuse to do that."

Full World Series schedule

All games start at 8 p.m. EDT on Fox:

  • Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23, Rays at Brewers
  • Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24, Rays at Brewers
  • Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26, Brewers at Rays
  • Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27, Brewers at Rays
  • Game 5*: Wednesday, Oct. 28, Brewers at Rays
  • Game 6*: Friday, Oct. 30, Rays at Brewers
  • Game 7*: Saturday, Oct. 31, Rays at Brewers

*If necessary

Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Both ballparks have roofs, so the entire Series will be played indoors and weather is not expected to cause delays.

History on the line

The Brewers are making only their second World Series appearance and their first as a National League team. In 1982, as an American League club, they lost to the Cardinals in seven games.

The Rays, who began play in 1998, are in their third World Series. They lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and to the Dodgers in 2020.

Whichever team wins will celebrate its first championship.