The MLB All-Star Game was Tuesday’s most-watched TV event by a wide margin despite hitting a new ratings low.
According to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, 7.5 million viewers watched the Midsummer Classic on FOX. It’s the first time the game has netted under 8 million viewers, sinking significantly beneath the record-low 8.14 million viewers in 2019.
Yet despite this dip, the MLB All-Star Game still drew better ratings than the other major U.S. sports’ all-star affairs this year.
MLB’s All-Star Game is likely the closest facsimile to legitimate competition among those four team sports. Hitters will still take hard hacks, and pitchers won’t hold back since they’re not working more than an inning.
However, interleague play is more prevalent, mitigating some of the game’s novelty that existed in past generations. It’s also easier for fans to keep up with star players from all teams regardless their location.
Meanwhile, all TV programming faces extra competition from a multitude of other channels and streaming platforms.
Those who watched saw the American League earn a 3-2 victory over the National League. Ten different pitchers held the NL scoreless after the first inning, and Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton provided the Junior Circuit’s offense with back-to-back home runs in the fourth.