Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. help boost MLB All-Star Game ratings in 2021
Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is appointment viewing for all baseball fans. The figures are in, and the 2021 MLB All-Star Game saw better ratings in 2021 compared to 2019, according to John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.
Over 8.2 million fans tuned into the contest, which was started by Ohtani and Max Scherzer. Ohtani also served as a the leadoff hitter for the American League.
That figure is up slightly compared to 2019, the last time the event was held.
The All-Star Game had 8.237 million viewers on Fox last night. That's up slightly from 2019 (8.162 million).
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) July 14, 2021
The contest, a 5-2 win by the AL, was headlined by Ohtani, who has emerged as an MVP favorite after excelling at the plate and on the mound. While Ohtani was the big draw coming into the contest, it was Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who took home MVP honors for the game. Guerrero hit a solo home run and drove in another run during the game.
MLB moved All-Star Game out of Atlanta
Despite the excellent young talent on display, there was no guarantee the All-Star Game would see higher ratings in 2021. After the league decided to move the game away from Atlanta due to Georgia's voter restriction laws, some Republicans announced they would boycott the sport.
If Twitter replies are to be believed, other fans vowed to join in on that boycott. If they did, the ploy wasn't as effective as they might have hoped. Baseball simply has too much young talent to keep fans away, and Ohtani and Guerrero — among many others — are hugely responsible for that.
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