MLB All-Star Game ratings lowest ever

The MLB All-Star Game remains the most-watched of its kind, but nonetheless set new record-lows in ratings and viewership.

Tuesday’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game averaged a 4.2 rating and 7.51 million viewers on FOX, down 7% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (4.5, 8.32M) and the lowest rated and least watched edition of the game. The previous ratings low was set last year and the previous viewership low was 8.14 million in 2019.

Despite the record-low, the Midsummer Classic continues to reign as the most-watched All-Star event in sports — surpassing the previous night’s Home Run Derby on ESPN and ESPN2 (6.88M), the NFL Pro Bowl on ABC, ESPN and DisneyXD (6.69M) and the NBA All-Star Game on TNT and TBS (6.28M). The MLB All-Star Game has been the most-watched in six of the last seven years it has occurred.

It should be noted that the All-Star Game skews older than those other three events and trailed each of them in the key adult demographics (see below chart). In adults 18-34 and 18-49, it ranks fifth among All-Star events behind the Derby, Pro Bowl, NBA All-Star Game and even NBA All-Star Saturday Night — each of which, save for the Pro Bowl, aired exclusively on cable.

All-Star ratings, viewership, in the four major sports

By the standards of modern television, the All-Star Game was a strong draw. It delivered television’s largest audience since the end of the NBA Finals more than a month ago, the largest audience on any Fox property since the Daytona 500 in February (8.87M) and the largest primetime audience on a Fox platform since the NFC Championship Game in January (50.23M). It was also the top Fox program in adults 25-54 since the 500 and the top Fox program in 18-34 and 18-49 since the NFC Championship.

The historical trend has not been kind to the All-Star Game, which has now posted record-low viewership in four of the past six editions. As recently as 2015, the game was still in the ten million viewer range. It should be noted that even with the addition out-of-home viewing skewing comparisons to prior years, television viewership is sharply lower now than even just a year ago.

MLB All-Star Game ratings, viewership, past 30 years

(Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 7.20)

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Comments 7

Eddy says:

4 years ago

MLS All-Star Game had 1.575m on FS1/TUDN

https://theathletic.com/2794021/2021/08/27/mls-all-star-game-generated-wildly-different-tv-viewerships-in-english-and-spanish/
Vic Raschi says:

4 years ago

“Big Papi ” is not well liked by fans who are not RED SOX fans ! Keep him out of it !
Samuel says:

4 years ago

For the first time since I’ve been watching the All Star Game, I turned the game off. By the 4th inning, I could no longer take the players being interviewed. What started out a few years ago as a few players being interviewed throughout the game has turned into 2 players being interviewed together every half-inning. It was the most obnoxious, sickening production I’ve ever seen. The game literally means nothing anymore. I don’t know why 1 million people would tune in to watch this garbage, let alone 8 million people. You don’t even see the game being played anymore with the way FOX produces it now. And Rob Manfred is happy with this? Just another part of baseball completely ruined.
Esl says:

4 years ago

Not surprised by the low numbers. The trend is terrible. The concerning thing is MLB has let this game turn into a circus, especially over the last 20 years. There were 63 players appearing in 9 inning game yesterday. Ridiculous. Almost all the starters were out by the 3rd inning. Does baseball and Fox understand how valuable this game is? Consider the All Star game will always be higher rated than any regular season baseball game. Even with the current trend, no regular season game will come close. It’s disappointing that MLB and Fox have not tried to keep this game competitive. I know it’s an exhibition, but no other sports all star games have better numbers than ever regular season games. It’s a tough watch now but it doesn’t have to be. Substitutions are made faster than line changes in hockey. Here are my ideas to make the All Star game more interesting.
1. Limit the rosters to 30. You don’t need 34 players on 1 team for 1 game. Too many damn players.
2. Starters are expected to play 6 innings (or have at least 3 at bats). These are the players the fans voted for. They want to see them in the game. Not be taken out in the 2nd inning.
3. Once starters are announced, there will be a fan vote for the “9 inning player.” The week before the game, fans vote for 1 player for each team that they want to play the full 9 innings.
The player voted on for both AL and NL will be the DH for their respected league and will play all 9 innings. You want to see one of the starters come up in a big spot late in the game.
-The All Star game will never be like it was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but I think these changes would help improve the fan experience for the game. And would help improve the ratings.
Brian says:

4 years ago

Do you think the ASG goes to cable in the next TV deal? I can’t see free TV wanting to air the game if the ratings keep falling.
- Paulsen says:
  
  4 years ago
  
  I disagree — I think you have to love airing the All-Star Game if you’re FOX. It was the network’s most-watched show since February and its top show in the 18-34 and 18-49 since January. Nothing on FOX comes remotely close (their biggest hit right now is probably the “911” series).
- kkomjo1030 says:
  
  4 years ago
  
  This should be a shock to no one. I’d bet my bank account next year will be a new record low and attendance league wide is down 6% through July 17th. On pace for the 8th straight year of attendance declines (not counting Covid years. Yes the RSN are the bright spot for MLB but it’s still a dying sport.