MLB has already signed a three-year streaming rights deal with Netflix for the Home Run Derby. On Monday, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia hosted the revamped event, but it turns out not all viewers were willing to tune in on Netflix to watch the spectacle, and even the governor of Florida couldn’t help but express his disappointment.

“That’s a shame because it was one of the best derbies of all-time,” Ron DeSantis wrote on X.

According to reports, Netflix drew just 5.3 million viewers for the 2026 Home Run Derby, marking the event’s lowest viewership since 2003, when ESPN recorded 5.2 million viewers.

Last season, when Cal Raleigh defeated Junior Caminero to win the Home Run Derby, ESPN and ESPN2 drew 5.7 million viewers, 7% more than this year’s broadcast, according to Sports Business Journal. The year before, ESPN drew 5.5 million viewers, still 4% more than in 2026.

Netflix’s presentation of the showcase faced criticism on multiple fronts, such as having celebrities like Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Jimmy Tatro as commentators. And not every fan was pleased. Furthermore, Netflix did itself no favors by making Elle Duncan the face of its sports division.

Coming back to the Home Run Derby, let us see how it has fared in recent years.

Notably, the streaming giant also had the rights to the Opening Day game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants this year. However, they faced major issues during that streaming as well. Fans were not pleased with the pre-game show or the presentation of the game itself, and Netflix was limited to 3 million views.

As for the Home Run Derby, the event is quite long and can become monotonous at times. Then there’s also the issue of advertisements. People watching the broadcast from home often flip through channels and avoid commercials. However, with Netflix, that is not an option.

Sports Business Journal reported that a younger audience made up the majority of the viewers of Netflix. But it appears Netflix has not yet reached the older demographic of viewers, some of whom may have missed out on watching the revamped HR Derby.

Recap: 2026 Home Run Derby

The MLB introduced multiple new rules to this year’s Home Run Derby during the All-Star festivities. The most significant was ditching the timed format for a total number of swings.

The eight All-Star competitors got three rounds each to swing and record as many home runs as they could. The first round had 20 swings, while the second round and third rounds had 15 swings each.

The list of participants included Willson Contreras, Jordan Walker, Junior Caminero, Jac Caglianone, Ben Rice, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Munetaka Murakami.

On Monday, Walker hit 31 home runs across three rounds and became the first St. Louis Cardinals player in history to win the HR Derby.

Walker took the prize money of $1 million home by defeating Philadelphia’s favorite, Kyle Schwarber. He hit six consecutive homers in the last round to clinch victory over the Phillies’ veteran.