Home Run Derby ratings tied a 20-plus year low.
Monday’s Major League Baseball Home Run Derby earned a 3.2 rating and 5.57 million viewers on ESPN, down 30% in ratings and 32% in viewership from last year (4.6, 8.17M) but flat and up 1% respectively from 2016 (3.2, 5.52M).
Bryce Harper‘s win tied the lowest Home Run Derby rating in more than 20 years (ratings prior to 1998 were not available). It also posted the third-smallest audience for the event in 15 (2003: 5.22M), ahead of only 2014 (5.40M) and 2016.
This year’s Derby had to contend with tougher-than-usual cable news competition, though it is hard to argue that would account for all of the 32 percent drop-off.
The Derby had a 1.8 rating in adults 18-49, down 30% from last year (2.6) and a tick from 2016 (1.9). According to Programming Insider, it was the lowest rated Home Run Derby in the demo since at least 2006.
It also had a 1.5 in adults 18-34 (-32%).
Despite the lower numbers, the Derby was the night’s top program in both demos — topping ABC’s The Bachelorette (1.6; 1.4).
Compared to other sports, the Home Run Derby comfortably topped NBA All-Star Saturday Night in February (2.6, 4.7M). The NBA festivities did come away with the higher demo ratings (2.1 in A18-49, 2.05 in A18-34).
[Numbers from Programming Insider 7.17]
