ESPNRatingsBy Douglas Pucci on

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Ratings News and Notes

  • The first three rounds of the 2017 NCAA Div. I Women’s Softball World Series on ESPN and ESPN2 from June 1-4 — 13 games, in all and led by Oregon/Oklahoma on ESPN on June 4 (1,231,000 viewers) — averaged 753,000 viewers, up 14 percent from the year-ago weekend (13-game average from June 2-5, 2016: 661,000 viewers). It also saw an increase of 5 percent among adults 18-49 (252,000 vs. 241,000).

  • The Major League Baseball Memorial Day (May 29) doubleheader of N.Y. Yankees/Baltimore followed by Washington/San Francisco on ESPN averaged 814,000 viewers, down only 3 percent from the year-ago Memorial Day doubleheader on ESPN (Chicago White Sox/N.Y. Mets and Minnesota/Oakland May 30, 2016: 843,000 viewers). Among adults 18-49, this year’s two games had slight improvement from last year’s (315,000 vs. 314,000). The games were also seen in each respective markets’ regional sports networks.

  • The first weekend of men’s college baseball World Series aired on ESPN2 and ESPNU on June 1-3: eleven game windows on ESPN2 averaged 212,000 viewers. Versus the comparable year-ago Saturday noon start on ESPN2 (South Carolina-Duke from June 4, 2016: 242,000 viewers), Florida State-Central Florida on June 3 (174,000 viewers) was down 28 percent.

    ESPNU’s 12 game windows averaged 150,000 viewers; compared to the seven year-ago ESPNU time slot windows, this year’s ESPNU games were down 16 percent (126,000 viewers vs. 150,000 viewers).

  • The 2017 NCAA Div. I Men’s Lacrosse National Championship of Ohio State/Maryland on ESPN2 May 29 drew 416,000 viewers and 210,000 adults 18-49, down 13 percent (in viewers) and down 5 percent (in adults 18-49) from last year’s title game on ESPN2 (North Carolina/Maryland May 29, 2016: 476,000 viewers/222,000 adults 18-49).

  • The opening portion of the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN2 from June 1 in daytime posted 113,000 viewers, an 18-percent decline from last year’s daytime session (ESPN2 May 26, 2016: 138,000 viewers). The Spelling Bee finals later in prime time on ESPN saw a steeper year-to-year decline of 29 percent (606,000 viewers vs. 859,000 viewers) but, unlike last year, it had taken place directly opposite Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals.

ESPN Top 25 (and Select) Programs


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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN is down -25 percent (899,000 vs. 1,200,000) from one week earlier and up +37 percent (899,000 vs. 658,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is down -6 percent (500,000 vs. 532,000) from one week earlier and down -2 percent (500,000 vs. 508,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

ESPN’s daily programs viewership averages for the week:

  • “First Take” (ESPN, May 29-June 2): 395,000 (225,000 adults 18-49)
  • “First Take” (ESPN, June 4 noon-1 p.m.): 524,000 (292,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Outside the Lines: First Report” (ESPN, May 30-31 & June 2): 260,000 (151,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, May 30-31 & June 2): 267,000 (147,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, May 30-31 & June 2): 312,000 (180,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN, May 30-31 & June 2): 326,000 (202,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, May 30-June 2): 417,000 (237,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, May 30-June 2): 464,000 (248,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, May 30-June 2): 699,000 (348,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 29-June 2 7 a.m.): 266,000 (153,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 29-June 2 8 a.m.): 301,000 (173,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 29-June 2 9 a.m.): 320,000 (173,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 29-June 2 6 p.m.): 433,000 (246,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 29 & 31-June 1 11 p.m.): 534,000 (299,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 29 & 31-June 2 midnight): 541,000 (331,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, May 29-31 & June 2 1 a.m.): 330,000 (201,000 adults 18-49)

ESPN2 Top 25 (and Select) Programs


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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN2 is up +11 percent (284,000 vs. 256,000) from one week earlier and down -33 percent (284,000 vs. 424,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is up +2 percent (175,000 vs. 172,000) from one week earlier and down -40 percent (175,000 vs. 291,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

ESPN2’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, May 29-June 2): 190,000 (97,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Dan Le Batard Show (live)” (ESPN2, May 30-31): 63,000 (36,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, May 30-June 1): 76,000 (37,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Nacion ESPN” (ESPN2, May 29 5 p.m.): 116,000 (64,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Jalen & Jacoby” (ESPN2, May 30-June 2): 101,000 (72,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Best of Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, May 30-June 1): 78,000 (56,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN2, June 1): 112,000 (53,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN2, May 29 & June 1): 188,000 (99,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 29-31 & June 2 10 a.m.): 133,000 (73,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 29-31 & June 2 11 a.m.): 119,000 (563,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 29, 31 & June 2 prime time): 209,000 (92,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 30 11 p.m.): 189,000 (98,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 30 midnight): 194,000 (123,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 30 1 a.m.): 148,000 (101,000 adults 18-49)

ESPNU Top 25 (and Select) Programs


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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNU is up +124 percent (92,000 vs. 41,000) from one week earlier and even (92,000 vs. 92,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is up +78 percent (57,000 vs. 32,000) from one week earlier and down -8 percent (57,000 vs. 62,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

ESPNU’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, May 30-31 & June 2): 23,000 (15,000 adults 18-49)

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

About Douglas Pucci

Douglas Pucci is a contributor to Programming Insider and blogger at Son of the Bronx.

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