Complaints follow every Pro Bowl. The question usually is: Why?
As in, why play the game?
But as long as fans watch, the NFL’s all-star game will continue.
The problem is fewer and fewer are watching all-star games. A day after a riveting Home Run Derby, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game pulled in a record-low number, Awful Announcing reports.
While Fox touted the fact that it won the night, the MLB All-Star Game drew a 6.2 overnight rating, a record low overnight.
Interest in all-star games isn’t there like it used to be.
Pro Bowl ratings and viewership have dropped for seven of the past eight years, according to Sports Media Watch. This year’s game on ESPN, ABC and Disney XD combined for a 5.1 rating, down 4 percent from last year.
The NBA All-Star Game pulled a combined 3.8 on TNT and TBS, and the NHL All-Star Game earned a 1.1 rating on NBC.
Despite the falling ratings with fewer fans watching, the Pro Bowl still had 8.9 million viewers. That’s 8.9 million reasons for the NFL to continue its all-star game.