Want to keep people watching? Instead of trying to cram 60+ names into the box score so everyone gets a participation ribbon, cut the rosters down to about 18 per team so fans get to see STARS playing in the ALL-STAR game. No more of this "anonymous reliever who has 20 decent innings and a stat line like a couple dozen other no-names" nonsense. By my back-of-the-envelope calculation, non-starters had more plate appearances than starters. How the hell is the game going to engage casuals hoping for a late-inning comeback when it's the likes of Austin Riley, C.J. Cron, Dansby Swanson, Travis d'Arnaud, Garrett Cooper, Kyle Schwarber, and Jake Cronenworth taking swings against Clay Holmes, Liam Hendriks, and Emmanuel Clase? Where's Manny Machado? Paul Goldschmidt? Trea Turner? The stars people actually want to see are long gone.

Want to keep people watching?

If FOX, who pays for the rights to broadcast it, isn't concerned about the numbers then I don't see why the answer to your question is anything but NO. EDIT: Or at least I DON'T CARE.

The stars people actually want to see are long gone.

Everyone agrees that the majority of players on the All-Star Roster are of little interest. Everyone disagrees on which specific players are of little interest. Marlins fans were probably more interested in Cooper, for example, than in Machado.

Will the Home Run Derby surpass the All Star Game in total viewers next year or in 2024?

Everyone agrees that the majority of players on the All-Star Roster are of little interest. Everyone disagrees on which specific players are of little interest. Marlins fans were probably more interested in Cooper, for example, than in Machado.

So we're agreed that everyone preferred to see Machado?

I think interleague play and then MLB.tv are what has hurt the All-Star Game. When I was a kid, I could see Frank Thomas or Ken Griffey a few times a year on TV. Now I can watch Shohei Ohtani every night if I want to.

Ichiro? Is that you?

When I was a kid, I could see Frank Thomas or Ken Griffey a few times a year on TV. Now I can watch Shohei Ohtani every night if I want to.

The Buggles were on to something.

I don't get why things are still reported in historical terms. I guess it gets headlines, but save for football, everything is getting record low ratings. There's just so much more #### to watch now.

I don't get why things are still reported in historical terms.

Historical viewership is the easiest context to research, for journalists reporting on TV ratings. It's the path of least resistance.

The comparison with other All-Star events is more interesting and more relevant than the historical figures.

I can't believe 6 million sickos watch the Pro Bowl.

I remember last year the hot take was that conservative viewers didn't watch the all-star game because they were mad that MLB moved the game from Atlanta as part of the "woke agenda." But it looks more like people just aren't as interested in the all-star game as they used to be. I remember as a kid, I loved the all-star game but once I went off to college I stopped prioritizing watching it. Feels like this could be a consequence of baseball's aging fanbase.

It's hard to even imagine watching it. I can sit through three and a half hours of constant lineup and pitching changes or watch one minute of highlights the next day. Actually, I don't even watch the highlights anymore unless I hear that something noteworthy happened.

Yes, interleague play, and the World Baseball Classic have taken the rivalry and steam out of this game. Once that went, the managers have managed accordingly. When there were bragging rights involved and the AL was trying to desperately win a game, there was more impetus to leave the best players in the game. Now that many of the best players are from other countries, I look forward to the WBC more than the All-Star game. It seems the players get more amped for that series...

I don't have cable and I don't stream. In about 5 or 6 years for me, baseball has practically disappeared. There is "one" game a week on Saturday, maybe. Actually, look at the TV listings for your local channels on the weekends....there are practically no sports whatsoever on local OTA television.
So, to suddenly toss a sporting event into the middle of prime time and expect viewers who have no access to baseball whatsoever, and expect them to watch three hours of a game is a pipe dream. For the viewers who are not into sportsball..all the players are unknowns. All of them.
Put Trout on local TV every night here in Socal and he would be a media superstar and known by millions. Leave him in the local cable TV ghetto, and very few people will care.

I don't have cable and I don't stream. In about 5 or 6 years for me, baseball has practically disappeared. There is "one" game a week on Saturday, maybe. Actually, look at the TV listings for your local channels on the weekends....there are practically no sports whatsoever on local OTA television.
So, to suddenly toss a sporting event into the middle of prime time and expect viewers who have no access to baseball whatsoever, and expect them to watch three hours of a game is a pipe dream. For the viewers who are not into sportsball..all the players are unknowns. All of them.
Put Trout on local TV every night here in Socal and he would be a media superstar and known by millions. Leave him in the local cable TV ghetto, and very few people will care.

Uh ... this isn't 1980 and most people have cable/streaming now. You've maybe heard about how network TV ratings in general have plummeted across the board over the last few decades now? It's been in the news a fair amount.

Just imagine: "cable TV ghetto" ... in 2022.

A night earlier, the Home Run Derby drew 6.877 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2.

The revenue from a 2nd prime-time All-Star event that draws almost as many viewers probably more than makes up for any drop-off in eyeballs for the game itself.

The Home Run Derby is the more interesting event. It’s all stars, and the players obviously care a lot. The home runs include many moon shots. And I even like watching the kids run after the balls in the outfield. I love the camaraderie among the players on the sidelines. My own kids cared about it more too. The game itself? Eh.

I don’t have cable, but I stream. i still watch at least part of 100+ baseball games a year, and would have loved to watch the all star game. And the home run derby.

But Fox. One more reason to hate them.

Of course in today's version of the all star game, Ted Williams does NOT hit a 3 run walk off as he's already riding the pine....

he's already riding the pine....

I've never heard that euphemism for chasing skirt.

When I was a kid, I could see Frank Thomas or Ken Griffey (play) a few times a year on TV.

And now you can't see them play at all! Ha! Checkmate, atheists...!

Now that many of the best players are from other countries, I look forward to the WBC more than the All-Star game.

At least at the WBC, teams care if they win or not.

Of course in today's version of the all star game, Ted Williams does NOT hit a 3 run walk off as he's already riding the pine....

Which is one of the main problems with today's All-Star game, at least for the position players. Does the NBA All-Star game remove all its best players at halftime?

Since it's now purely an exhibition game where 90% of the viewers don't care who wins, why not allow unlimited substitutions? Let Ohtani and Judge leave the game in the 5th inning and then be allowed to re-enter as pinch-hitters later. It makes no sense in an ordinary game, but neither does ending an ordinary game with your best players sitting on the bench.

Does the NBA All-Star game remove all its best players at halftime?

No, but they don't play the entire game either.

we haven't mentioned all the stars/starters who don't go and/or don't start. or all the pitchers that don't go/can't go because of when they last played. ROLL EYES!!!!!

once buddy boy started interleague play in order to get all teams just "mlb" and the AL and NL just initials, and all the - each team sends one person, and (after the mussina thingy) that everyone had to be substituted in - you talk participation trophy - well, really, it stopped being interesting. it feels like watching 5-6 year olds play "little league" and not a real game. yeah, participation trophy stuff. i am surpised they Whiteys don't complain about that. or all the furrinerz darkinin up their nice White game. of course i don't know any old White guy righty White fans IRL

the last time i remember caring was 04 when i went in person. i think we were still punching cards at the ballpark which made me care a LOT more before i understood that i needed to know how to program bots and use ways to escape the unique IP address block

if you don't have any actually FREE games to watch like you do other sports well, fewer and fewer people are going to even accidentally catch a game and become interested. im not sure how on earth baseball picks up ANY fans any more and their old White guy demographic they love so much ain't gettin no younger

Does the NBA All-Star game remove all its best players at halftime?

No, but they don't play the entire game either.

Right, but they're allowed to sit down and then return, which baseball players aren't. Which is why I suggested that the usual rule of no-returns be suspended for the All-Star game, so an Ohtani or a Judge might be able to come back and play in the 8th or 9th inning in a close game.

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we haven't mentioned all the stars/starters who don't go and/or don't start. or all the pitchers that don't go/can't go because of when they last played. ROLL EYES!!!!!

Yeah, we've come a long way since "If I ain't startin', I ain't departin'" was seen as mark of bad baseball character.

The Home Run Derby is the more interesting event. It’s all stars, and the players obviously care a lot. The home runs include many moon shots. And I even like watching the kids run after the balls in the outfield. I love the camaraderie among the players on the sidelines. My own kids cared about it more too. The game itself? Eh.

It's not just the Home Run Derby. Now we have the super-hyped first round of the amateur draft on Sunday night, broadcast on both MLBN and ESPN. By the time Tuesday rolls around, many fans are understandably fatigued.