All-Star Game scores ratings home run

July 15, 2009 Fox's telecast of the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game delivered an average audience of 14.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched midsummer classic since 2002. Tuesday night's contest now stands as the sixth most-watched sporting event of 2009, trailing Super Bowl XLIII, which drew a record 98.7 million viewers to NBC on Feb. 1; the NCAA National Championship Game (17.6 million); the Kentucky Derby (16.3 million); Game 4 of the NBA Finals and the Daytona 500 (both drew 16 million). The victory once again gives the AL home-field advantage in the World Series, a wrinkle that was introduced by MLB commissioner Bud Selig back in 2003, following an unpopular decision to call the prior year's All-Star Game after 11 innings.

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