This year’s Home Run Derby broadcast on Netflix reportedly recorded the lowest ratings in recent years.
The MLB annual event reportedly drew a paltry 5.3 million viewers on Netflix, making it “the lowest total since 2003, when the event saw 5.2 million spectators,” per the New York Post.
It was also a drop from last year’s event — in which American League MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh reigned supreme — that drew 5.7 million viewers on ESPN.
The event also drew criticism from viewers for its presentation and the inclusion of Will Ferrell, with one fan calling it “one of the worst home run derby broadcasts I have ever watched.”
According to Sports Business Journal, Netflix did show some promise with younger audiences while losing older demographics.
“Netflix drew 3 million viewers for its debut MLB effort featuring the Giants and Yankees back in late March, and that was the youngest Opening Day audience since the delayed start to the pandemic season in July 2020,” it noted. “Excluding that pandemic year, it would have been the youngest audience for an MLB opener in a decade. The audience among adults 18-49 was the best for Opening Day since 2017.”
As Breitbart News recently reported, Netflix has been actively considering live television to retain viewership as attention spans for its original content dwindle.
A recent Wall Street Journal report said Netflix may soon be adding live channels to its service, ones that could focus on a particular subject or genre. As Vulture noted, the streaming service Peacock, not to mention Paramount+, have already adopted this type of model with “live channels that play random episodes of Vanderpump Rules or true-crime documentaries.”
“They also shared that they’ve considered creating bundles with other streaming services, where their current users can sign up through Netflix,” reported Vulture. “Recently, Netflix announced it will add content from Condé Nast, BuzzFeed, and now video podcasts from Vox Media.”
“The big pitches come after Netflix shared a decline in viewership; it fell to 7.8% in April, the last time it was that low was in May 2025. The streamer will reportedly share updated viewership numbers next week,” it added.