Fox last night drew a 6.5 overnight rating for the AL's 2-1 win in 10 innings over the NL in the MLB All-Star Game. That is up 2% from a record-low 6.4 rating last year. The uptick is the first time in five years that the game has seen a ratings increase, but the 6.5 remains the second-lowest overnight on record for the event. Fox will see it best primetime audience since Super Bowl LI in February, but the net is not likely to win the night -- NBC's "America's Got Talent" drew a higher audience. K.C. led all markets for the third straight year with a 16.6 local rating for the All-Star Game, followed by St. Louis (12.1) and Cleveland-Akron (11.9). The game saw big upticks in N.Y. (+31%), Houston (+62%) and host market Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (+19%). Meanwhile, Fox Sports Go had an average minute audience of 49,441 viewers last night, nearly double the streaming audience on the platform last year (25,057 viewers) (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
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ALL-STAR GAME OVERNIGHT RATINGS TREND ON FOX
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YEAR
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RATING
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SITE
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'17
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6.5
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Marlins Park
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'16
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6.4
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Petco Park
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'15
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7.8
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Great American Ball Park
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'14
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7.9
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Target Field
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'13
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8.1
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Citi Field
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ANCHOR IN THE OUTFIELD: In Miami, Barry Jackson notes Fox "injected creative wrinkles" into last night’s telecast. There were "interviews with the leadoff hitters, on the field, just seconds before they stepped into the batter’s box." But Fox' "best idea" was "undoubtedly the decision, with MLB’s approval, to have Joe Buck interview outfielders George Springer and Bryce Harper for several minutes
during play, while they stood in the outfield" (
MIAMI HERALD, 7/12). In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck notes the interview with Harper in right field "lasted almost the entire top half of the fourth inning." It was an "unprecedented intrusion into the game action, but it did spice up the early-inning pitching duel" (
Baltimore SUN, 7/12). In K.C., Pete Grathoff writes under the header, "Fox's In-Game Interview At All-Star Game Is A Hit." Buck's chat with Springer in the top of the third inning was "pretty cool" (
K.C. STAR, 7/12). USA TODAY’s Scott Boeck notes in a lighthearted moment during his interview, Harper asked Buck how good Cowboys QB Dak Prescott "will be this year." Boeck: "Interesting" (
USA TODAY, 7/12). Harper said to Buck, "I feel like I’m commentating, like the NFL Network with you right now.” Harper: "How do you think Dak’s going to be this year?” Buck: “I have not met a more impressive young player coming into the NFL in the time I have covered.” Harper: “Him and Zeke, unbelievable” (
"MLB All-Star Game," Fox, 7/11). The Boston Globe's
Dan Shaughnessy tweeted, "Try to imagine joe buck talking to manny while manny in left field in mid inning." MLB.com Coordinating Producer
Rich MacLeod: "Having the players mic'd on the field as they're playing the All-Star Game is FOX & MLB's coolest idea in years." The L.A. Daily News'
Tom Hoffarth: "It is kinda cool @buck can talk to Springer in LF. but questions he's now asking are more distracting than insightful. now it doesn't count!"
LET'S HEAR SOME CHATTER: YAHOO SPORTS’ Chris Cwik notes fans were also "treated to Alex Rodriguez talking to players on the field during inning breaks." But the segment "suffered from everyone trying to do too much." Rodriguez and Fox "tried to cram three separate interviews into a single inning break," and it is "tough to get solid answers from any player when you spend roughly 20 seconds with them." Things "improved near the end when Rodriguez settled in and asked" Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado multiple questions. That "provided a glimpse into what the segment could have been if Rodriguez only focused on talking to one guy" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/12). In S.F., Bruce Jenkins writes of Rodriguez' experiment, "No harm was done, and it wasn’t a glimpse into the future of baseball broadcasting, but what a ridiculous idea." Almost "as bad as interviewing the respective leadoff hitters just moments before they stepped into the batter’s box." Jenkins notes these ideas came from Fox, "forever in pursuit of a really dumb innovation" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/12). Newsday's David Lennon tweeted, "Going forward maybe we can find a happy medium between deciding World Series home-field and A-Rod interviewing players on the field. ... If A-Rod isn’t on some kind of flying harness Sky-Cam device for next year’s All-Star Game, a lot of people are going to be disappointed" (TWITTER.com, 7/11).
BOOTH REVIEW: The MIAMI HERALD's Jackson notes Buck "did his usual exemplary work, humanizing the players by relaying information about their backgrounds." Analyst John Smoltz "isn’t especially dynamic but offers smart, measured analysis, and he was an asset." But Smoltz "needs to be aware there are casual fans in an All-Star Game audience and explain some baseball lexicon" (MIAMI HERALD, 7/12). Fox Sports' Tim Brando: "I'll freely admit listening that Smoltzy does help my level of enjoyment. @FOXSports hit a HR getting him into the booth." L.A. Daily News' Mark Whicker: "Smoltz says idea of putting men on base in extra-innings 'has grown on me.' He should see a dermatologist."
MORE TWITTER REAX: The L.A. Daily News' Hoffarth: "Just flipped over to @FOXDeportes ... why not? i understand it just as well as Fox English. ... You also don't lose any action because of jamming too many Fox commercials between innings. Muy bien!" Vegas Stats & Information Network's Ron Flatter: "#ASG telecast in Las Vegas is at least 20 seconds behind the same telecast in L.A." FS Southwest's CJ Nitkowski: "Earlier today I found myself feeling bad for beat writers who have to cover the All-Star Game. Extra innings and I feel even worse for y'all."
