United States-DR matchup draws record-breaking viewers

If there was any doubt over interest in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, it sure hasn't affected television ratings.

MLB Network released its TV viewership numbers to date, and one figure stood out in particular: Saturday's game between the Dominican Republic and United States drew 977,000 viewers, becoming the network's most-watched non-playoff game in its history, and its second-best prime-time audience ever, according to Forbes' Maury Brown.

Additionally, the game saw a spike in the latter hours, with 1.2 million people watching from 9:45 p.m. until 10 p.m. ET. Even more impressive, the numbers released only count the U.S.-based audience.

Two heavyweights squaring off naturally draws strong numbers; the previous record for a WBC game was in 2013 when 883,000 viewers tuned in to see these same countries battle in Round 2.

Overall, MLB Network and the WBC have so far increased viewership 18 percent over the 2013 tournament.