The MLB All-Star Game is supposed to be a triumphant celebration of the sport. Baseball's brightest stars gathering together to have some good old-fashioned fun. Such an occasion used to be must-watch TV, an event any and every fan had to catch. But now? It's struggling to keep the masses entertained.
Nielsen ratings released the numbers from the 2021 MLB All-Star Game, and the stats are weak, to say the least. As reported by The Hill, this year's game netted 8.24 million viewers, marking just a 1% increase from 2019's event. Even then, that All-Star Game only had 8.1 million viewers, the lowest of all time. The numbers seem to betray what many fans would consider one of the brightest years in baseball ever.
The new generation is fully taking the reins of the sport, injecting the game with excitement that we haven't seen in a while. From two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani to hitting machine Vladimir Guerrero Jr., baseball has enjoyed a period of fun and swagger. Despite this, it seems fewer eyes are on the game than ever before.
The All-Star Game may seem like a problem in a vacuum, but it only tells us more about the sport as a whole. Truth be told, baseball has been losing viewers for quite a while. Far gone are the days of 36 million people tuning in for the 1980 All-Star Game, or 44 million hanging on every game of the 1978 World Series. Rather, we've seen the least-watched World Series in 2020 only averaging 9.8 million viewers, and over four million viewers lost in just a single year.
Baseball should be prospering in times like these. Generational talents are putting on a show nearly everyday, and no one cares to watch. If MLB hopes to grow the game and get new people into the sport, it's failing horribly.
Something needs to change, and hopefully this game will open the league's eyes.
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