Cumberland, Georgia, USA; National League designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a home run in the swing-off of after the 2025 MLB All-Star Game ended in a tie at Truist Park. Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

MLB All-Star Game Draws Highest TV Ratings Since 2017, Remains Biggest in Sports

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 7:38 PM ET

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game had a historic and instantly-iconic finish, and it turns out that baseball fans far and wide were dead-set on watching it all go down.

FOX Sports announced Wednesday that Tuesday night's exhibition contest drew 7.2 million viewers on FOX. That makes it, per usual, the most-watched All-Star event in sports, beating out the numbers that the NBA All-Star Game, NHL All-Star Game and NFL Pro Bowl Games put up earlier this year.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted that it was the most-watched MLB All-Star Game since 2017.

A historic night in Atlanta.

The Midsummer Classic drew 7.2 million viewers on FOX, continuing its reign as the most-watched All-Star event in sports. pic.twitter.com/fsqNYPYnQp
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 16, 2025

It initially seemed like the National League was going to blow out the American League, taking a 6-0 lead in the sixth inning. The AL staged a comeback by scoring three in the seventh and three in the ninth to knot up the score.

That led to the first-ever swing-off, a home run derby-type finish that took the place of extra innings. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hit home runs on all three of his swings, powering the NL to a clutch victory in the process.

It checks out that so many fans tuned in to see Schwarber's heroics, plus all of the star-powered action that led up to it, considering the positive trend in MLB's TV ratings on the whole this season. In-person attendance numbers have also seen some notable spikes, so interest appears to be at a post-COVID high.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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