Considering how poorly Major League Baseball has done on FOX this season, the network can be pleased that the All-Star Game narrowly avoided a record-low overnight.
The 2014 MLB All-Star Game earned an 8.0 overnight rating on FOX Tuesday night, down a tick from last year and 2012 (8.1 both years). The 8.0 is the second-lowest ever for the event, ahead of only a 7.9 in 2011.
The five lowest overnights for the All-Star Game have taken place in the past five years — 2010 (9.3), 2012 and 2013 (8.1), 2014 (8.0) and 2011 (7.9).
With that said, the 8.0 is quite strong for an All-Star Game. By comparison, the NFL Pro Bowl had a 6.7 on NBC in January. The 8.0 is the highest for any non-World Cup sporting event since the end of the NBA Finals in June.
The 8.0 is also respectable when one considers how much FOX has struggled this season. The network had declines for each of its eight primetime telecasts, with all-but-one down double-digits. The 1% decline for the All-Star Game is actually the smallest of the season for any MLB telecast on FOX.
(Tue. overnight from Sports Business Daily)
