Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Team Irvin cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie #41 of the New York Giants intercepts a pass intended for Team Rice wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants during the second half of the 2016 NFL Pro Bowl. Getty

The NFL is easily the most popular American sport, but that isn’t reflected by the number of people that watch its All-Star game. The 2016 Pro Bowl drew record-low ratings on Sunday night with the Super Bowl a week away.

Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Daily reports the contest drew a 5.0 overnight rating on ESPN, which is likely its lowest ever. The Pro Bowl had a 5.6 rating on ESPN last year, and it did a 6.7 rating when NBC broadcast the game in 2014.

The rating is low by NFL standards, though other sports would love to have a 5.0 rating for their All-Star game. The NHL also had its All-Star Game on Sunday night, and the contest drew a 1.17 overnight rating on NBC Sports Network. That number was a 24 percent increase from the 0.94 rating the game did last year.

The NBA All-Star Game will be lucky to draw a 5.0 rating when it airs in a few weeks. The contest did a 4.3 rating last year.

The Pro Bowl’s ratings used to be competitive with some World Series games, but now the contest doesn’t even come close to matching the MLB All-Star Game’s ratings. The baseball exhibition drew record-low ratings last summer, but it still outdid the NFL with a 6.6 rating on FOX.

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