HISTORIC "MO-MENT" DRIVES ALL-STAR GAME VIEWERSHIP ON FOX
Mid-Summer Classic Dominates Primetime; Ratings/Audience Grow vs. 2012
Final All-Star Appearance By Legendary Mariano Rivera Powers Final Hour
New York, NY - The 84th MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME ON FOX from Citi Field was a celebration of everything great about the National Pastime, full of unforgettable moments including a pregame salute to our service men and women, to the game's brightest stars leaving the field to allow the spotlight to shine alone on legendary New York Yankee Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer ever, making his final All-Star appearance. Millions watched across the country as today's All-Stars and more than 45,000 fans paid tribute to the best that ever was.
The 2013 MLB All-Star Game ranks as FOX's highest-rated and most-watched broadcast since the American Idol finale in May, averaging a 6.9/12 fast national household rating/share, with 11 million viewers. FOX projects to be No. 1 for the night in primetime when final national ratings are released, and FOX's 8:00 PM -11:00 PM metered market average of 8.1/14 easily out-distanced second place NBC by +59% (5.1/9). The game posted a +1% increase over last year's 6.8/12 rating and up +1% on average audience (10.9 million viewers), according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research.
· From 10:15 PM ET through the final out, in anticipation of Rivera's final entrance on the All-Star Game stage, last night's game averaged an 7.0/12 +8% better than last year's 6.5/11 for the comparable portion.
· Fittingly, the game rating peaked at 7.6/13 at 10:45 PM ET, the approximate start of the bottom of the 8th inning when FOX cameras followed Rivera as he left the centerfield bullpen to his trademark theme, Enter Sandman.
· Host city New York drew a strong 11.3 rating, up +16% from 2012.
· Detroit led all markets with a 20.3 rating, its highest rating for an All-Star Game since 2005 and a +26% increase from last year.
· The first quarter hours in New York and Detroit were up +28% and +9% respectively, no doubt due to the popularity of starting pitchers, Detroit Tiger Max Scherzer and NY Met Matt Harvey.
· Other top-rated markets included St. Louis (16.4), Kansas City (13.9), Cincinnati (12.8) and Baltimore (12.6, a +70% increase over 2012). Other markets showing big increases vs. last year include Cleveland (10.5, +27%), Minneapolis (10.6, +26%), Boston (8.8, +14%) and Tampa Bay (9.0, +13%).
· Ratings for last night's Midsummer Classic beat the average of every regularly scheduled primetime show this summer in key demos including Men 18-34, (3.5), Men 18-49 (4.3) and Men 25-54 (5.1). FOX posted notable increases in women's demographics including Females 12-17 (+50%, 0.9 vs. 0.6), Women 18-34 (+11%, 2.1 vs. 1.9) and Women 18-49 (+10%, 2.2 vs. 2.0).
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