All-Star Game ratings tell the story of an event that has new life 

The NBA´s All Star Weekend wrapped up from Los Angeles on Sunday evening, and Team USA Stars came out on top in the newly structured All-Star Game, but it was NBC and the NBA that came out the real winners.

All-Star Game gets it shine back

The All Star Game returned to NBC after 24 years, and the network lucked out with the best ratings in over a decade. NBC, their streaming platform Peacock and Telemundo reported that 8.8 million people tuned in to watch the new look tournament. That’s the most since 2011.

This comes as a huge relief for the league, who had been battling to keep the game relevant for more than a decade. The competition was diluted, the defense was non existent and the game was a complete dud. That seemed to change on Sunday night from the Intuit Dome.

From the very beginning, there was a sense of urgency, competition, and intensity that had not been seen in a long time on All-Star Sunday. San Antonio Spur, Victor Wembanyana set the tone early on and even the MVP of the night, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves attributed him with waking everyone up and making the night competitive, and entertaining.

Wemby wasn´t messing around

Edwards said of Wembanyama, “Wemby set the tone, and it was definitely competitive between all three teams. He set the tone and it woke me up for sure.” The Frenchman had 14 points 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, but Edwards led his team to an overtime win to lay the foundation for what would be a thrilling night.

The NBA´s decision to make the All-Star Game a round robin between three teams gave a new dynamic to the main event. Making it a contest between the best foreign players, and two teams made up of the best players from the United States added another dynamic of competition and pride that we hadn’t felt during the ASG.

All three of the round robin games came down to the wire. The first was an overtime game, that was tied after the 12 minute mini match was up. The Stars won that. Then Team Stripes, full of legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant won on a buzzer beating three. The third came down to a Wemby three at the buzzer, which he missed and sent the Stripes to the final with the Stars. The “young gun” Stars beat the “old head” Stripes in the final and Edwards was named the MVP of the night.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.