• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Major League Fishing Continues to Reel in Record-Setting Virtual Crowds in 2020

  • Last week’s MLF Bass Pro Tour stage saw viewership increase by 20% over already-amplified February numbers.
  • 500,000 unique visitors watched over 19 million minutes of the stage three competition via the league’s in-house livestream.
major-league-fishing-stage-three-lake-fork-bass-pro-tour

Major League Fishing is one of the few sports that has continued to host events as the coronavirus pandemic has largely canceled professional sports nationwide, helping the league continue its uptick in viewership and relevance. 

The sport had already seen an increased interest in February, with stages one and two of its second-annual Bass Pro Tour reporting a 72% increase in unique tune-ins year-over-year. The league’s in-house live stream, MLFNOW!, attracted over 886,000 unique viewers over the two events for a total of 30 million watched minutes – an 89% over 2019’s total averages.

The third stage, which was fished on Lake Fork, Texas from March 13-18 with several CDC recommendations in place, saw viewership increase by 20% over the already amplified February numbers. The third stage saw the largest spike in interest of the tour, with over 19 million minutes of competition watched by 500,000 unique visitors.

The Bass Pro Tour found itself trending on both Facebook and Instagram during stage three with a 72% increase in social media impressions compared to stage two. Total social media impressions across all events are also up 15% over 2019.

“We would term our event from last week an extra huge success,” Don Rucks, MLF executive vice president and general manager, said. “The lake we went to is known as a trophy bass lake, and it came through for our events. So that helps our live streaming quite a bit, but also the fact that we are one of the few live events that are going on right now also helped to drive those numbers up.”

The league says the sport’s format inherently allows for social distancing, and without a weigh-in at the end where competitors come into close contact with one another, they were able to broadcast the week safely through their in-house live streaming service, MLFNOW!, without crowds or concern.

Practice rounds for the event began a week before Wednesday’s finale when the sports industry was still evaluating how to best proceed during the pandemic.

“Going into it, we didn’t know what the rest of the world was going to be doing,” Rucks said. “We knew it was going on, but we didn’t know to what extent. But as the week went on, as we began to get our numbers in and we began to hear we were one of the few events out there to happen, we did anticipate better numbers. I don’t think we anticipated the success we had.”

Part of that success, the league says, can be attributed to the tour’s unique catch-weigh-immediately release format. Their three, 150-minute periods of competition contribute to a faster pace of play, and the addition of cumulative, real-time scoring – as opposed to the traditional weigh-ins at the end of a full day – were two of several changes implemented that were designed to increase the sport’s appeal to mainstream sports fans as well as avid anglers.

“After our first season, we made some minor adjustments to our game that we believe resonated well with fans causing the increase in viewership in February,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF president and CEO. “Going into Stage Three last week, we had no idea how much the sports world would change, and we’re hopeful that those who tuned into the Bass Pro Tour found a few hours of respite among an unprecedented reality at work and home.”

READ MORE: Marble Racing League Shoots Ahead During Global Sports Hiatus

According to MRI data provided by the league, 57% of its viewers on the Discovery Channel last year had not fished in the last year.

Founded in 2011, MLF’s 2019 season attracted a total of 270,000 unique visitors across nine events. After the first three stages of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour, the league is averaging 471,698 unique visitors and 48 million minutes streamed, an increase of 75% year-over-year.

The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight stages from February to July, all of which are streamed live by the league and on MOTV, Outdoor TV’s streaming service. The footage is then packaged into a two-hour original show on Discovery, which will air beginning in July.

MLF Cup events, which take the top 30 anglers from every two Bass Pro Tour stages, are filmed for television only. The results are revealed over six weeks on Outdoor Channel.

Other Major League Fishing events have landed on additional linear air time on CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, and Sportsman Channel. While they started as a television only product, the success the league has seen through live streaming and on social media has prompted a focus on those efforts to continue to grow the sport.

“We launched our live streaming a year ago in 2019, and through that season and between our seasons, we just kept refining it,” Rucks said.

MLF has already begun to reap the benefits of those refinements, seeing both younger and more diverse fans tuning into the sport.

“What’s interesting is it’s just happening faster right now because of the limited life sports that are out there,” Tricia Milford, senior director of public relations for MLF, said. “But we believe that our product is something that is attractive when hockey and basketball and football are back.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NBA Draft Ratings Fall 14.5% Despite Early Cooper Flagg Lift

3.77 million viewers watched across ESPN and ABC.
exclusive

Chip Caray Will Not be Suspended for Accidental Homophobic Slur: Sources

The verbal stumble was followed by over 30 seconds of silence.

Thunder Win Sets Up First 6-Game NBA Finals in 4 Years

It will be the first Finals series of at least six games since 2022.

Why Pacers Game 3 Win Could Help Reverse NBA Ratings Trend

The Pacers are ahead 2–1 in the 2025 NBA Finals.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.

MLB Home Run Derby Draws 5.7M Viewers on ESPN, Up 5%

ESPN reverses the trend from last year and registers audience growth.
Brittney Griner and Caitlin Clark
exclusive
July 15, 2025

‘Good Morning America’ Will Air From WNBA All-Star in First

The All-Star Game’s relevance has exploded with the league in recent years.
July 15, 2025

WNBA Hits Fourth-Highest ABC Viewership With Clark-Bueckers Duel

Clark missed the first Fever vs. Wings game with an injury.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
NBC Sports
exclusive
July 14, 2025

NBC Hiring Ex-Hawks Exec Grant Liffmann As NBA Front Office Insider

Liffmann spent the last three years with Atlanta after covering the Warriors.
F1
July 11, 2025

F1 ‘Poised’ to Choose Apple Money Over ESPN Reach

Formula One looks to be changing lanes.
Jul 10, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Iga Swiatek of Poland at her on court interview after winning her match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on day 11 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
July 10, 2025

Wimbledon Set to Deliver Strong Finals Matchup for ESPN

Novak Djokovic is still in the hunt for his 25th Grand Slam.
Paige Bueckers
exclusive
July 8, 2025

Women’s March Madness Expansion Wouldn’t Yield More ESPN Money

ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.