Getty Image / Steph Chambers
The MLB All-Star Game has long been considered the crown jewel of all the major All-Star Games. Held every year since 1933 except 1945 and 2020, the Midsummer Classic is an American Pastime.
But, television ratings have been declining for the annual game between the American and National League. Of course, one long term factor of that is interleague play. The only two opportunities people got to watch the best players from the American League and National League square off were the World Series and the MLB All-Star Game.
And, quite frankly, not as many people watch baseball anymore. That applies to television as a whole, as well. This year, ratings for the game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, which the National League won 3-2 on a late Yandy Diaz two-run home run off of Felix Bautista, hit a new low.
Source: 7.006M for the MLB All Star Game on Fox.
A new low, but still the the top league all star game.
— Sports TV Ratings (@SportsTVRatings) July 12, 2023
Here is more from Sports Media Watch.
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game hit yet another record-low in the ratings, but remains the most-watched All-Star event in sports.
Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game averaged a record-low 3.9 rating and 7.01 million viewers on FOX (7.09M across all platforms), down 7% from the previous lows set last year (4.2, 7.51M). All-Star viewership has now hit a new low in five of the past seven years the game has been played (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023). Less than a decade ago in 2014, the game averaged a 7.0 and 11.34 million.
The Midsummer Classic, which peaked with 7.57 million from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, remains the most-watched All-Star event in sports — ranking comfortably ahead of the second-place NFL “Pro Bowl Games” on ABC, ESPN and DisneyXD in January (6.28M), the previous night’s MLB Home Run Derby on ESPN and ESPN2 (6.11M) and the NBA All-Star Game on TNT and TBS in February (4.59M).
That was not the case in adults 18-49, where the game’s 1.61 rating trailed both the Derby (1.81) and NBA (1.76). (It still outdrew the “Pro Bowl Games” in the demo, which drew a combined 1.59.)
Ratings in adults 18-49 actually increased slightly year-over-year, rising 4% from last year’s record-low 1.55. As for the other key demos, ratings fell 3% in 18-34 (from 1.05 to 1.02) and held steady in 25-54 (1.96). (The 1% of adults 18-34 who watched the All-Star Game accounted for 21% of the demographic’s viewing Tuesday night.)
The article also went on to say that while it was an all-time low for the game itself, the Home Run Derby and was still more viewers than all but two non-World Series playoff games last year.