The 2010 MLB Home Run Derby was not exactly a home run in the ratings.
ESPN drew a 4.0 U.S. rating and 6.418 million viewers for the MLB Home Run Derby Monday night, down 22% in ratings and viewership from last year (5.1, 8.250 mil), down 27% and 30%, respectively, from 2008 (5.5, 9.116 mil), and down 7% and 5%, respectively, from 2007 (4.3, 6.778 mil).
This marks the lowest rated Home Run Derby since 2003 (3.5) and the least-viewed since 2005 (6.330 mil). Additionally, this is the second-lowest rated Home Run Derby of the past 12 years.
The Derby was not the top program of the night on cable, finishing behind both The Closer (5.0, 7.660 mil) and Rizzoli & Isles (4.9, 7.553 mil) on TNT. Among adults 18-49, however, the telecast drew a 2.6 rating — trouncing both TNT dramas (1.6 for Rizzoli & Isles, 1.5 for The Closer).
To put the numbers in perspective, the Home Run Derby drew more viewers than three of the five games of last year’s Phillies/Dodgers NLCS on TBS and all but one game of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final on NBC and Versus.
The Home Run Derby also topped NBA All-Star Saturday night on TNT, which featured the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (3.1, 5.441 mil). The Derby even drew a higher rating than the NBA All-Star Game itself (4.0 to 3.8), although it drew fewer viewers (6.418 mil to 6.846 mil).
