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Reuters
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Home Run Derby enjoys 5% viewership bump, but ratings still lag
July 16 - The 2025 Home Run Derby saw a 5 percent increase in viewership, though ratings for the event were still below most years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monday night's event, won by Seattle's Cal Raleigh over Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero, averaged a 2.7 rating and drew 5.73 million viewers. That is up from the 5.45 million who tuned in for Teoscar Hernandez's victory last year. However, both of those were down from the previous three years. The 2021 event won by the New York Mets' Pete Alonso drew 7.13 million viewers, followed by 6.88 million for Juan Soto winning the 2022 event while still with the Washington Nationals. Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the following year, drawing 6.11 million viewers. This year was the second-least watched Derby since 5.524 million viewers watched Giancarlo Stanton win in 2016 while with the Marlins, according to the Sports Business Journal. The 2024 Derby was the least-watched during that span, but it also competed with the Republican National Convention. Monday night's Derby peaked at 6.31 million viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET and was the most-watched program of the day across all of broadcast and cable television. ESPN2's "StatCast" version of the event was watched by 499,000 people. For comparison, this year's NBA All-Star Game and the NFL's Pro Bowl Games each averaged 4.7 million viewers -- and Tuesday night's MLB All-Star Game is expected to easily outpace both. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cal Raleigh's Home Run Derby win boosts ESPN ratings by 5%
ATLANTA (AP) — Big Dumper helped drive a big boost to ratings for Monday night's Home Run Derby. ESPN said Tuesday that viewership for Cal Raleigh's Home Run Derby victory was up 5% from 2024, according to Nielsen ratings. Raleigh's win over fellow finalist Junior Caminero of Tampa Bay drew an average audience of 5,729,000 viewers, up from 5,451,000 viewers in 2024 when Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández topped Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals. Advertisement ESPN says the combined audience on ESPN and ESPN2 peaked with 6,307,000 viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET. That made the Home Run Derby one of the most-watched programs of the day, including all broadcast and cable choices. Raleigh's father, Todd was his personal pitcher for the event. The Seattle catcher's 15-year-old brother, Todd Jr., was his catcher. The elder Raleigh is a former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina. Raleigh, 28, leads the majors with 38 homers and 82 RBIs and is the American League's starting catcher in Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Raleigh became the second Mariners player to take the title, following three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr., who was on the field, snapping photos. ___ AP MLB: The Associated Press
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Defensive Back Tabbed for 'Substantial Role' in 2025
Buccaneers' Defensive Back Tabbed for 'Substantial Role' in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Going into training camp last year, one of the fiercest battles on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster was at cornerback. Advertisement Third-rounder Tykee Smith ended up being a big part of that secondary during his rookie season for the Bucs, and he's got an inside track to do even more in 2025. Smith posted two interceptions, 54 total tackles with 38 solo and four for loss and added a pair of QB hits across 13 games and six starts at safety and nickel corner. Heading into 2025, The Athletic's Dan Pompei believes Smith could have an even larger role in the defense. "Smith was too productive as a rookie nickel corner in 2024 not to have a more substantial role in 2025." Pompei wrote. "He had two interceptions, seven pass breakups, four tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, which led coach Todd Bowles to think about getting him on the field more. Smith, who played safety at Georgia, will have an opportunity to be on the field for all four downs, perhaps as a safety-nickel combination player. Advertisement "In addition to production, he also has a pedigree. He was a four-star recruit by Rivals, an All-American (and two-time national champion) at Georgia and a third-round draft pick. Playing next to a healthy Antoine Winfield Jr. could bring out Smith's best." Smith added three forced fumbles and seven passes defended last season, solidifying his role as the nickelback, although missing four games with a knee injury and a concussion. Related: Buccaneers' New Pass Rusher Labeled 'Player to Root For' Related: Buccaneers' Star Defensive Tackle Predicted for Breakout Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers Boast Two Players with 'Superstar Chances'
Buccaneers Boast Two Players with 'Superstar Chances' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own one of the most impressive rosters in the NFL, especially when you consider youth to be an advantage. Advertisement General manager Jason Licht has nailed his recent drafts, and that's mostly helped the team own the NFC South in recent seasons, tying the record of four straight division titles since 2021. Two of those young players stand out, and were named to Bleacher Report's "8 NFL Players with the Best Chances to Turn Into Superstars in 2025." "Bucky Irving is already close. Among qualified backs, the 2024 fourth-round pick ranked behind only Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Gibbs with a 5.4 yards-per-attempt average in his rookie season. Irving also put up 479 scrimmage yards in the final four weeks of 2024, and he finished the campaign ranked in the top five among qualifiers with 2.7 yards per attempt after contact," Brad Gagnon wrote. "The key for the 22-year-old in 2025? His support system is awesome. The experienced Bucs offense remains intact, and he'll be running behind one of the best O-lines in the league. Division rivals Carolina and New Orleans also had the worst two run defenses in the league last year. The stars appear to be aligned for Irving to become one." Bleacher Report was also impressed with YaYa Diaby, who enters his third year in the league in 2025. Advertisement "Yaya Diaby's sack total actually sank from 7.5 as a rookie in 2024 to 4.5 as a sophomore in 2025, but look a little deeper and the trajectory is there. The 2023 third-round pick more than doubled his quarterback hits number from eight to 20 as defenses keyed on him more following a somewhat surprisingly strong rookie campaign. Six of those hits and 2.5 of those sacks came in his final three games of the 2024 regular season, suggesting the 26-year-old could be on the verge of something special this year," Gagnon continued. Related: Buccaneers Rookie Corner Labeled Possible Surprise Related: Buccaneers' Super Bowl-Winning Defensive Tackle Announces Retirement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Star Defensive Tackle Predicted for Breakout Season
Buccaneers' Star Defensive Tackle Predicted for Breakout Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If there's been one knock on Calijah Kancey during his two seasons in the NFL, it's his lack of reliability. Advertisement Which sounds harsh, considering he's missed eight games across his first two seasons since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via the No. 19 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But those missed games keep adding up, and the concern is real. That's an ominous start to any NFL career, and the Bucs hope it's not a trend. When he's been on the field, he's been great, and that's why PFN believes 2025 could be a breakout year for Kancey. "Calijah Kancey took a big step forward as a pass rusher in his second NFL season, leading the Buccaneers with 7.5 sacks, 39 pressures, and 18 quarterback hits in just 12 games. His pressure rate jumped to 11 percent in 2024, up from 9.4 percent as a rookie, making him one of the more disruptive interior defenders in the league," BrandonAustin wrote. While Tampa Bay's defense finished middle of the pack in PFSN's Defense+ metric and struggled against the pass, Kancey's ability to generate consistent pressure was a bright spot. With the addition of Haason Reddick to the defensive front, Kancey could see more favorable matchups and opportunities and reach double-digit sacks in 2025. Advertisement "With the addition of Haason Reddick to the defensive front, Kancey could see more favorable matchups and opportunities and reach double-digit sacks in 2025." Calf injuries have plagued Kancey in both years of his career. He suffered a calf injury in training camp of his rookie season but returned for the season opener before missing a month, 11 games into the season, after aggravating it. The defensive interior combination of Kancey and Vita Vea is a force the Bucs hope can stay together in 2025 and beyond, as long as both can stay healthy. Related: Buccaneers' Offensive Tackle Charlie Heck is Ready to Save the Season Related: Buccaneers' New Pass Rusher Labeled 'Player to Root For' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
