• Loading stock data...
Thursday, May 29, 2025

MLB Home Run Derby Draws Lowest Viewership in Five Years

  • The 2023 Derby averaged 6.11 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2.
  • The declining viewership could be chalked up to issues in the format that finally took their toll on fans.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby.
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday in Seattle, Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the first Blue Jay and part of the first father-son duo to win MLB’s Home Run Derby — after his father, Vlad Sr., won in 2007 — but that wasn’t enough to entice fans to tune in.

The 2023 Derby averaged 6.11 million viewers across ESPN’s main telecast (5.52M) and ESPN2’s StatCast (596,000), per Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp. That’s the lowest figure for the event since 2018, when 5.9 million watched, representing an 11% drop from 2022’s 6.88 million.

The declining viewership could be chalked up to issues in the format that finally took their toll on fans.

Awful Announcing notes that many fans were having trouble keeping up with the fast pace of the Derby in its timed format; before 2015, the Derby was contested with ten outs, where any swing that was not a homer counted as an out.

“I prefer the old format and think it leads to bigger dingers,” tweeted blogger Matt Clapp. “These guys are just trying to sneak in as many swings as they can under the clock, which is exhausting. And as a viewer, it’s so hard to keep up.

ESPN did its best to keep up with the frantic action — but it also made its own mistakes. Immediately following Guerrero Jr.’s victory, the network flashed a graphic stating that he was the second Cuban-born player to win the event; the 24-year-old was born in Canada and grew up in the Dominican Republic.

Karp also speculated before the event that 2023 could be the year that the Derby would outdraw MLB’s main event of the week, the All-Star Game — but given these numbers, it won’t be a difficult bar to clear.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Softball

MLB Makes Eight-Figure Investment In New Softball League 

Athletes Unlimited and Major League Baseball announced the deal Thursday morning.

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Knicks and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.

Featured Today

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
Around the Horn

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.
May 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers’s WNBA Debut Delivers 121% Ratings Bump on Ion

Friday’s doubleheader averaged 612,000 viewers.
May 22, 2025

NBC Eyes MLB Rights, Looks to Own Sunday Nights Year-Round

The league continues to shop media rights being forfeited by ESPN.
Sponsored

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

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) watches as center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after making a three point basket to clinch a win against the Toronto Raptors near the end of the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena.
May 20, 2025

NBA Playoff TV Ratings Up 3% Ahead of Late-Round Test

Games are averaging 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
May 18, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Scottie Scheffler is interviewed after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow.
May 20, 2025

PGA Championship TV Ratings Dip As Scottie Scheffler Dominates Again

CBS drew an average of 4.76 million viewers for Sunday’s final round.
May 20, 2025

Caitlin Clark, Fever Draw Record 2.7M Viewers vs. Sky

Caitlin Clark recorded her third career triple-double.
Julie Foudy
exclusive
May 16, 2025

Julie Foudy Out at ESPN After Two Decades

Foudy and ESPN failed to reach an agreement on a new deal.