More viewers tuned into this year’s edition of the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, but the numbers were still lower than usual.
The 2011 MLB Home Run Derby drew a 4.0 U.S. rating and 6.686 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen-fast nationals, flat in ratings and up 4% in viewership from last year (4.0, 6.418M), but down 22% and 19%, respectively, from 2009 (5.1, 8.250M).
The 4.0 rating is tied as the lowest for the Home Run Derby since 2003 (3.5), and the second-lowest since 1996.
The Home Run Derby drew a lower rating and fewer viewers than February’s NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT (4.4, 8.090M), the first time that has happened since NBA All-Star Weekend resumed in 2000, and possibly the first such occurrence ever.
To put that in perspective, last year’s Home Run Derby topped both NBA All-Star Saturday Night and the actual NBA All-Star Game.
Boston was the top market for Monday’s telecast, with a 10.3 rating — up 8% from last year (9.5). Milwaukee (9.3, up 8%), Providence, RI (8.4), St. Louis (7.8, down 25%) and Hartford/New Haven, CT (7.5) rounded out the top five.
Host market Phoenix turned in a 6.3. By comparison, last year’s Home Run Derby drew a 3.3 rating in host market Los Angeles, and the 2009 edition drew an 18.9 in host market St. Louis.
4.0 U.S. rating based on 4.678 million TV homes.
(Numbers from ESPN, espnmediazone3.com)
