2023 MLB All-Star Game averages record-low 7.006 million viewers

[TMC]

https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/all-...n-viewers.html

Another year, another record-low in All-Star Game viewership.

[TMC]

This is what Ken Levine wrote in his blog last year regarding the MLB All-Star Game:

Thank you MLB and Fox for utterly destroying the Major League Baseball All-Star game.

At one time the Mid Summer Classic was far and away the best All-Star game of any major sport. Why? There was real competition. You had the best hitters facing the best pitchers. In other sports it’s somewhat of a joke because either there’s no defense (NBA final scores are always 148-142) or it’s after the regular season (NFL) so it’s a complete afterthought.

In baseball you also had the novelty that other than the World Series, there was no interleague play. If you wanted to see Whitey Ford face Willie Mays you had to watch the All-Star game. As a fan, there was a real sense of pride watching players from your team.

Today there’s none of that.

One of the great things about attending an All-Star game was for the first and only time you would get to see the other teams in your league wearing their home uniforms. That was very cool.

For reasons that only involve making money, MLB has done away with teams wearing their own uniforms. Now it’s glitzy white uniforms with unreadable gold letters and piping for the home team, and black for the visitors. Sorry Seattle fans — next year you don’t get to see pinstripes.

It used to be fun to look out on the field and see all the different caps and colors. But MLB feels it can sell more merchandise this way. Really? Who’s going to buy one of these crappy All-Star jerseys? Now you look out on the field and don’t know who anybody is. Players are identified by their uniforms the same way superheroes are. It matters.

You also don’t know when there are changes, but that gets into the broadcast, which I’ll discuss in a moment.

When the All-Star game in Milwaukee had to be declared a tie by Commissioner Bud Selig (because there were no pitchers left), there was a big uproar. So MLB took steps to fortify that the game “meant something.” World Series home field advantage hung in the balance (as if this was a big incentive to Mariner, Pirate, and Padres players). Or the audience. That proved to be hollow and was disbanded.

So now MLB (probably at the insistence of Fox) has gone the other way. Players are now allowed to talk to the announcers during the game. What that means is the game is now just a picnic softball game. If the players clearly don’t care what happens, why should viewers? Now Fox will argue that this allows fans to actually go “into” the game, but it doesn’t. When there’s something at stake, when these players are really concentrating, there’s a level of intensity. That is obliterated. So any modicum of suspense has been sacrificed for a gimmick.

And the Fox broadcast was all gimmicks. Cameras in helmets, cameras on the ground. The novelty of that wears off in ten seconds.

For a young player, making the All-Star squad is a BIG deal (maybe the highlight of his career or life), especially if you’re from a city that rarely gets national attention. In the past, each player was highlighted. This year, a few players were highlighted if they happened to come up to bat at convenient times. But if the announcers were talking to players in the dugout while the action was going on and it was their one at-bat — too bad. Their name might get mentioned after they made out. Instead, we’re hearing cliches and nonsense from players we don’t really give a **** about.

And that was nothing compared to a segment where David Ortiz went into the AL dugout (DURING an inning) supposedly “interviewing” players. Instead, it was “Hey man, what’s up?” “How are you, bro?” “My man, you having fun?” Utter drivel, and again, this was during the action. It was the nadir of any All-Star segment.

Oh wait, maybe it wasn't. Maybe cutting away from the action to let some guy plug his podcast for five minutes was. Unconscionable.

Since Joe Buck has departed for ESPN, Fox has anointed Joe Davis as their number one baseball play-by-play guy. Davis is the TV voice of the Dodgers. He’s very affable but generic. He has a comfortable relaxed style, which suits the pace of baseball but works against the big moments. And All-Star games and World Series games live on big moments.

I will say this: my heart went out to him at one point. He muffed a play — calling it a catch when it really dropped in for a hit. As a former MLB announcer I can tell you — we all make mistakes (God knows I have). That it happened to Joe on a national telecast was unfortunate. I’m sure the Twitter haters are ripping him for it. They have no idea what it takes to do that job. To his credit, Joe moved on and did not let it affect the rest of the broadcast.

The telecast itself was very shoddy. Most of these players are unknown to the general public. Joe and John Smoltz kept referring to them by their last names. This isn’t a regular season game. You’re introducing these unknowns to a national audience. Identify them by first and last name and identify them again and again and again.

Hardly any attention was paid to the defensive alignments, and when it was there was a tiny graphic and Joe rushed through the last names. “Stanton, Rodriguez, Torres.” This is not Joe’s fault, it’s the director/producer. They should have singled out each player, announced his name and what team he plays for (especially since they’re not wearing their uniforms). All-Star games features a dizzying amount of changes. Each new player deserves to be on camera and introduced. Half the time Joe would say “pop up to (whoever) who is now in the game.”

All of these gimmicks and disregard for the players shows an incredible lack of respect for the game. This is the Major League Baseball All-Star game. It is not "Battle of the Network Stars." The attraction is seeing the very best players in the game compete at the highest level. But Fox or MLB for that matter, has no faith in the product. For numerous stretches the game itself was merely an imposition. Why watch the game when you can see Big Papi prattle on about nothing in a dugout with players you don’t know and who all look the same anyway due to the uniforms?

Now you might say, well I’m just ‘old school’ and this is the new game. Okay, well consider this — the Dodgers lead the Majors in attendance practically every year. Most attendance records were set by the Dodgers. It was a lovely clear day with temperatures in the high 70’s. The All-Star game hasn’t been at Dodger Stadium in 42 years. Did you notice how many empty seats there were? The “new school” ain’t working. Bring back the real ALL-STAR GAME. Or "get off my infield grass."

UPDATE: Last night's All-Star Game averaged a 4.2 rating and 7.51 million viewers on FOX, down 7% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (4.5, 8.32M) and the lowest rated and least watched All-Star game ever. It used to get 50 shares and 20 million viewers. As baseball fans know -- numbers don't lie.

[biffbronson]

I generally agree with Levine as most of his comments apply to this year's game as well. I spent much of the time figuring out which team each player represented from the scant info FOX provided, having to look on the player's sleeve logo when batting -- as all the helmets had on them were "A" or "N."

So much inane banter most of the time. Fox's broadcast was pretty terrible in my opinion. They dropped the ball in a big way, pun intended!

[Duster76]

I understand Ken's frustration, but this is little like Blanche DuBois lamenting the loss of Belle Reve.

As JR Ewing once said, "once you give up integrity, the rest is a piece of cake".

The All Star game was sold off piece by piece with the final piece being sold years ago. The concept is meaningless, it's not a game, it's a presentation of products, merchandising souvenirs, and an exhibition of various baseball skills over a two day period. The original article TMC linked made a valid point, comparing the ratings to what once was isn't fair. The ratings are good based on what is now the standard for an ota network special. That's all that matters to Fox, all that matters to MLB, and sadly all that matters to the current fan base. So try to enjoy it for what it now is, or ignore it because of what it has become.

[TJ]

It was a good game. It dragged on for a low scoring game. MLB still has the best All-Star Game.

They should bring back teams wearing their own uniforms.

I know he gets a lot of criticism, but I miss Joe Buck calling big games. Joe Davis doesn't bring the same level of excitement.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

I generally agree with Levine as most of his comments apply to this year's game as well. I spent much of the time figuring out which team each player represented from the scant info FOX provided, having to look on the player's sleeve logo when batting -- as all the helmets had on them were "A" or "N."

So much inane banter most of the time. Fox's broadcast was pretty terrible in my opinion. They dropped the ball in a big way, pun intended!

I'm in complete agreement with those who don't like the idea of Fox interviewing miked players on the field during play. I know that I'm going to sound like an old fuddy duddy, but it in my mind, disrespects the game. I mean, even if it's ultimately an exhibition, the All-Star Game is and should be a competitive ordeal, where you're serious about wanting to defeat the other team.

Also, I too wish that Major League Baseball would go back to having All-Stars wear their teams' uniforms. That's what really made the All-Star Game stand out when compared to other professional sports leagues. Maybe, in my eyes, it doesn't make for a fun viewing experience if everybody looks and dresses the same. Especially when the MLB All-Star Game as a mandate that every team, regardless of win-loss record, needs to have at least one player represent them.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Duster76

I understand Ken's frustration, but this is little like Blanche DuBois lamenting the loss of Belle Reve.

As JR Ewing once said, "once you give up integrity, the rest is a piece of cake".

The All Star game was sold off piece by piece with the final piece being sold years ago. The concept is meaningless, it's not a game, it's a presentation of products, merchandising souvenirs, and an exhibition of various baseball skills over a two day period. The original article TMC linked made a valid point, comparing the ratings to what once was isn't fair. The ratings are good based on what is now the standard for an ota network special. That's all that matters to Fox, all that matters to MLB, and sadly all that matters to the current fan base. So try to enjoy it for what it now is, or ignore it because of what it has become.

According to Baseball-Almanac.com, the last time that the MLB All-Star Game had a Nielsen rating over 10.0 was from 2001, which incidentally, was the previous time that the game was played in Seattle.

I think that interleague play really hurt the relevancy and importance of the All-Star Game. Before 1997, the first year that interleague play was used, the only time that the American and National Leagues faced off besides the World Series, was the All-Star Game.

I know that this may sound cliched, but there really was a lot of mystique, excitement, and intrigue behind the idea of players facing off against other players who they normally wouldn't get a chance to see during the season. But since it's practically now, an everyday occurrence for the AL and NL to play against each other, it goes without saying that seeing something like that in the All-Star Game is no longer "unique" or that big a deal.

I'm sure that there are other factors, especially for the 2023 ASG, but interleague play is to me, the biggest factor or reason behind the All-Star Game gradually declining in ratings over the past 20 some odd years.

[TMC]

Roughly seven or so hours after the Major League Baseball All-Star Games concludes, the National Rugby League will kick off the third and final game in the State of Origin series. On the surface, the two concepts are very similar.

Two teams comprised of the best players representing a certain body playing an exhibition that sits outside the league. In reality, North American All-Star contests and State of Origin could not be any more different.

The latter is one of the most intense fixtures in rugby league where players give their all. It is a series made legendary by extraordinary performances and violent dust ups in an attempt to win. The All-Star Game, MLB or otherwise, is a leisurely stroll where players try not to get hurt, and the result is largely irrelevant.

It doesn’t have to be that way, however. I believe there is a solution out there, inspired by the NRL’s State of Origin, that would finally give All-Star games the meaning they deserve.

The biggest issue with All-Star games in modern times is that there are no stakes, no reason to win, play hard, or care. A big reason for that is that there is no rivalry to the games.

No one cares about American League vs. National League or Eastern vs. Western Conference. In this day and age, those are simply words. League loyalty does not exist. East versus West doesn’t matter if players don’t have a connection to those regions outside their employer.

Beyond that, we see all teams and players anyway. There is no mystery to All-Star games. Back in the day, it was a chance for fans to see players they may not always see and for players to impress the public with a spotlight that wasn’t available at any other time.

There is no way to fix this as is. You aren’t putting the All-Star toothpaste back in the tube. State of Origin works because there is a rivalry between the two states. People grow up or are invested in those colors. There is a sense of pride in representing Queensland or New South Wales.

[TMC]

The Home Run Derby and All Star Game just isn't what it used to be. MLB tried to fix what wasn't broken and now it just seems to get worse and worse. Let's take a deep dive into what MLB is doing wrong and how to fix it.