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MLB All-Star Game viewership gets slight bump from 2019’s record low

Jul 13, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; American League first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays (27) is interviewed after winning the 2021 MLB All Star Game MVP award after their 5-2 win over the National League in the 2021 MLB All Star Game at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The combination of the historic participation of starting pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani, dozens of young stars and a sports audience on the pandemic upswing seem to have helped baseball’s All-Star Game reverse a troubling trend: fading TV viewership.

Tuesday night’s midsummer classic, televised by Fox, recorded an average of 8.24 million U.S. viewers. That marks a slight bump compared to the previous All-Star Game in 2019, which posted a record-low 8.14 million tuning in.

The audience figure halted what has become an annual viewership slide for MLB. Audience numbers normally topped 20 million during the 1990s and 10 million less than 10 years ago. Tuesday’s figure still failed to match the 2018 game, which saw 8.69 million watch.

The American League defeated the National League 5-2, with the Los Angeles Angels star Ohtani earning the victory after throwing a scoreless inning on the mound while also batting leadoff as the designated hitter.

–Field Level Media

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