Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; National League designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) of the Philadelphia Phillies hits in the home run swing off tiebreaker during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images The first “swing-off” in Major League Baseball All-Star Game history wasn’t enough to save the Midsummer Classic from a 3 percent ratings drop.
Tuesday night’s game averaged a 3.8 rating and drew 7.19 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen, down from 7.44 million last year and the second-fewest on record for the event. It was 3 percent better than the record low of 7 million who tuned into the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
MLB’s All-Star event still draws far better than its counterparts, with this year’s NBA All-Star Game and the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games each averaging 4.7 million viewers. Monday night’s Home Run Derby drew 5.73 million viewers on ESPN.
The All-Star Game itself peaked with 8.1 million viewers in the 9:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour, per SportsMediaWatch.com, making it the most-watched program on Fox since the Super Bowl. It also featured the first “swing-off” to determine the All-Star Game winner.
Each player got three swings. Rooker launched two over the fence, while Stowers went 1-for-3. Arozarena then hit one, before Kyle Schwarber sent all three out to give the NL a 4-3 running lead entering the final round. Aranda then went 0-for-3, clinching the bizarre National League victory — technically a 7-6 win — the league’s second All-Star Game triumph in three years after dropping the previous nine.
A rule change in 2022 provided what was left of the 41,702 fans with a spectacle they likely weren’t expecting when they entered Truist Park in Atlanta.
“It was interesting,” Schwarber said after being named the Phillies’ first All-Star Game MVP since Johnny Callison in 1964. “Exciting, fun. There’s a lot of guys who deserve this (trophy), but I’m glad it’s going home with us to Philly.”
–Field Level Media
