After an five-year run of impressive numbers, the Pro Bowl finally fell back to earth.
The 2015 NFL Pro Bowl earned a 5.1 final rating and 8.8 million viewers on ESPN Sunday night, down 23% in ratings and viewership from last year opposite the Grammy Awards on NBC (6.6, 11.4M) and down 28% in both measures from 2013, also on NBC (7.1, 12.2M).
The game ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Pro Bowl since 2007 (4.6, 7.0M), ending a streak of five straight years with at least a 6.5 and 11.0 million. Since earning a 7.7 and 13.4 million in 2011, ratings and viewership for the Pro Bowl have declined in four straight years — the game’s longest streak of declines in the past two decades.
Compared to other sports, the Pro Bowl ranks well behind last year’s MLB All-Star Game on FOX (7.0, 11.3M) and ahead of last year’s NBA All-Star Game on TNT (4.3, 7.5M). The game’s run as the most-watched all-star event in sports is almost certainly over, as no MLB All-Star Game has ever earned less than a 6.8 and 10.9 million.
Among adults 18-49, the Pro Bowl had a 3.2 rating — down 16% from last year (3.8) and down 20% from 2013 (4.0). The 3.2 matches last year’s MLB All-Star Game and trails the NBA All-Star Game (3.3), reports Sports Media Watch.