Home Run Derby draws disappointing viewership

Rule changes did not help the viewership for the 2024 Home Run Derby, nor did Monday’s Republican National Convention.

This year’s Derby, won by Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, averaged just 5.45 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2. It’s the smallest audience for the event since 2014, which drew 5.40 million viewers (without the added benefit of out-of-home viewing, which was not tracked until 2020).

The Derby also wasn’t even the most-watched program of the night, falling more than three million viewers short of the convention across CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC (8.6 million).

Last year , the Derby averaged 6.11 million viewers, continuing a decline that started after a spike in viewership for the 2021 edition.

For this year’s Home Run Derby, the rules were modified. The bracketing system was eliminated in the first round, with the top four competitors advancing. More significantly, players were limited to either 40 pitches or three minutes in the first round as opposed to three minutes with no pitch limit in 2023.  The bonus round was also untimed with players all0wed three “outs” (swings that are not home runs), compared to a one-minute time limit with unlimited outs in 2023.

Star power was also at a premium in this year’s event. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, a two-time Derby winner and arguably the biggest star in the event, was eliminated in the first round, as was reigning AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson. Eventual winner Hernandez tallied just one 30-homer season in his career (though he’s on pace to add a second in 2024) while making two All-Star teams (including 2024’s nod) and playing in a total of four Postseason games.

There was no Ken Griffey Jr or Aaron Judge smashing dingers this year, and that lack of name talent probably impacted some of the casual viewership.

Heading into MLB’s All-Star Week, a question was posed about whether or not the Derby would draw more viewers than Tuesday’s All-Star Game. The pithy numbers for Monday’s event seem to render that possibility moot, even as we still wait for final viewership from Tuesday.

[Data via Sports Media Watch ]

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