The first ¡°swing-off¡± in MLB All-Star Game history wasn¡¯t enough to save the Midsummer Classic from a 3% ratings drop.
Tuesday night¡¯s game averaged a 3.8 rating and drew 7.19 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen, down from 7.44 million last year and the second-fewest on record for the event. It was 3% better than the record low of 7 million who tuned into the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
MLB¡¯s All-Star event still draws far better than its counterparts, with this year¡¯s NBA All-Star Game and the NFL¡¯s Pro Bowl Games each averaging 4.7 million viewers. Monday night¡¯s MLB Home Run Derby drew 5.73 million viewers on ESPN.
The All-Star Game itself peaked with 8.1 million viewers in the 9:15 p.m. eastern standard time quarter-hour, per SportsMediaWatch.com, making it the most-watched program on Fox since the Super Bowl. It also featured the first ¡°swing-off¡± to determine the All-Star Game winner.
Each player got three swings. Brent Rooker launched two over the fence, while Kyle Stowers went 1-for-3. Randy Arozarena then hit one, before Kyle Schwarber sent all three out to give the NL a 4-3 lead entering the final round. Jonathan Aranda then went 0-for-3, clinching the bizarre National League victory ¡ª technically a 7-6 win ¡ª the league¡¯s second triumph in three years after dropping the previous nine.
A rule change in 2022 provided what was left of the 41,702 fans with a spectacle they likely weren¡¯t expecting when they entered Truist Park in Atlanta.
¡°It was interesting,¡± Schwarber said after being named the Phillies¡¯ first All-Star Game MVP since Johnny Callison in 1964. ¡°Exciting, fun. There¡¯s a lot of guys who deserve this (trophy), but I¡¯m glad it¡¯s going home with us to Philly.¡±
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