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Overnight television ratings for the Pro Bowl plummeted to at least a 10-year low, according to several industry outlets.
Sports Media Watch said the 5.0 rating for Sunday’s game on ESPN was the lowest since at least 2006.
Sports Business Journal said it is, “likely (the) lowest ever” for the event although full viewership numbers won’t be available until later this week.
SMW said the overnight numbers, a snapshot of 56 major markets representing nearly 70 percent of the country, were down 11 percent from 2015, when the game was held in Glendale, Ariz., and off 25 percent from 2014, the last time the NFL’s all-star game was held at Aloha Stadium.
Team Irvin ripped Team Rice 49-27 in the game.
Despite the drop, the Pro Bowl was still the weekend’s top sporting event. It drew double the rating of the Cleveland-San Antonio NBA game (2.5) on ABC on Saturday and topped Sunday’s NHL All-Star event (1.2) on NBCSN.
But among professional sports all-star events, where the Pro Bowl once ruled supreme, it trails the most recent Major League Baseball (7.8) and NBA (5.5) all-star games.
In an effort to boost the game’s sagging numbers, ESPN had given its Monday Night Football crew an expanded role surrounding the Pro Bowl.
