Viewership for Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic fell to near record-low territory, yet the game continues to dominate among sports All-Star events.
FOX’s broadcast of Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game averaged a 3.8 rating and drew 7.19 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. That figure ties last year’s mark as the lowest-rated All-Star Game on record and ranks as the second-least watched, trailing only the 2022 edition, which managed 7.01 million. Compared to 2023, viewership dipped by 3%.
However, even with another year of declines, baseball still owns the most-watched All-Star event in sports. The All-Star Game topped the list, while Monday’s Home Run Derby on ESPN came in second with 5.73 million viewers. Both events outperformed the NBA All-Star Game on TNT Sports and the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games on ESPN/ABC, which each drew 4.7 million viewers.
For context, the NHL did not hold a traditional All-Star Game this year, instead staging the Four Nations Face-Off. That tournament’s championship game averaged 9.3 million viewers on ESPN in February. If counted, it would place ahead of MLB’s showcase.
Still, the All-Star Game stood as FOX’s most-watched broadcast since the Super Bowl—though that comes with an asterisk, as the network’s non-sports programming consistently underperforms in primetime.
Viewership peaked during the 9:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour with 8.1 million viewers, a stretch that included several marquee matchups. Among the early highlights were reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge facing off against National League rookie sensation Paul Skenes, Freddie Freeman’s return to Atlanta, and Clayton Kershaw’s appearance in the second inning. Later, Mets slugger Pete Alonso delivered a dramatic three-run homer, and the American League staged a late comeback after trailing 6-0.
While the numbers are far removed from the All-Star Game’s heyday, MLB remains a dominant summer ratings force—especially in an era where live sports are increasingly one of the few reliable draws on linear television.
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