Netflix MLB Home Run Derby coverage proves to be big failure

Major League Baseball made history this year by moving the Home Run Derby from ESPN to Netflix. The hope was that streaming the event on one of the world’s largest platforms would attract a new audience and help grow the sport. Instead, the early viewership numbers suggest the move may not have paid off. According to the latest ratings, the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby averaged 5.3 million viewers, making it the lowest-watched Home Run Derby since 2003.

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Ratings Take a Step Back

The disappointing numbers are especially notable because this was Netflix’s first year broadcasting one of MLB’s marquee events. Rather than seeing a boost in viewership, the Derby actually declined from last year.

In 2025, ESPN and ESPN2 drew 5.7 million viewers for the event. Netflix’s debut broadcast reached 5.3 million, representing a decline of roughly 7% year over year.

Considering the amount of attention surrounding the platform change and the new Derby format, MLB was almost certainly hoping for the opposite result.

Why Did Viewership Drop?

There are likely several factors behind the decline. While Netflix has an enormous subscriber base, many sports fans are still accustomed to watching major live events on traditional television. Some casual viewers may not have even realized the Home Run Derby had moved to a streaming-exclusive platform.

Others may simply prefer the familiarity of ESPN’s presentation after decades of broadcasting the event.

Of course, viewership alone doesn’t necessarily tell the entire story. Netflix may still consider the partnership a success if it attracted new subscribers or reached younger audiences that traditional television struggles to capture.

MLB Will Be Watching Closely

The Home Run Derby remains one of baseball’s signature annual events, and MLB will undoubtedly monitor how fans respond to future broadcasts. This year’s competition featured an exciting new swing-based format and produced a dramatic finish, but those changes weren’t enough to generate higher television numbers.

A decline to 5.3 million viewers, the lowest audience since 2003, is not the type of debut MLB or Netflix envisioned. Whether this is simply a one-year adjustment to a new platform or a sign that the streaming strategy needs to be reconsidered will become much clearer when next year’s ratings are released.

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