ESPNRatingsBy Douglas Pucci on

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Ratings News and Notes

  • The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery om ESPN May 16 prior to Western Conference Finals Game 2 drew 3.23 million viewers, up 18 percent from the 2016 lottery (2.75 million from May 17, 2016) and down 9 percent from the 2015 lottery (3.55 million from May 19, 2015). Sports Media Watch reported that this ranks as ESPN’s third most-watched NBA Draft Lottery since the network began carrying the annual event in 2004.

  • Regional games of the 2017 NCAA Div. I Women’s Softball Tournament on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU from May 18-21 — 29 games, in all and led by Oklahoma/North Dakota State on ESPN on May 21 (637,000 viewers) — averaged 309,000 viewers, down 6 percent from the year-ago weekend (27-game average from May 19-22, 2016: 328,000 viewers).

  • The 2017 NCAA Div. I Men’s Lacrosse tournament quarterfinals on ESPN2 and ESPNU May 20-21 averaged 126,000 viewers, down 4 percent from the year-ago quarterfinals on ESPN2/ESPNU (May 21-22, 2016: 131,000 viewers) despite two games airing on ESPN2 compared to only one on ESPN2 on May 22, 2016.

  • The second Sunday morning edition of E:60 on ESPN on May 21 highly rebounded from the previous week: up 62 percent in total viewers (581,000 vs. 358,000) and up 64 percent in adults 18-49 (338,000 vs. 206,000). It still marked at 10 percent below the year-ago “Outside the Lines”/”Sports Reporters” combo from May 22, 2016 (643,000 viewers) but, as a positive, it was 10 percent above in adults 18-49 (338,000 vs. 309,000 adults 18-49).

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 up +4 percent (1,719,000 vs. 1,656,000) from one week earlier and down -33 percent (1,719,000 vs. 2.551,000) from the same week one year ago (May 16-22, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is up +12 percent (638,000 vs. 569,000) from one week earlier and down -20 percent (638,000 vs. 793,000) from the same week one year ago (May 16-22, 2016).

ESPN’s daily programs viewership averages for the week:

  • “First Take” (ESPN, May 15-19): 434,000 (264,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Outside the Libes: First Report” (ESPN, May 15-19): 300,000 (191,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Insiders” (ESPN, May 15-19): 297,000 (184,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, May 15-19): 300,000 (179,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, May 15-19): 298,000 (176,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN, May 15-19): 346,000 (204,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, May 15-19): 426,000 (256,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, May 15-19): 472,000 (260,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, May 15-19): 668,000 (347,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 15-19 7 a.m.): 307,000 (187,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 15-19 8 a.m.): 290,000 (185,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 15-19 9 a.m.): 299,000 (179,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SC6 with Michael and Jemele” (ESPN, May 15-19 6 p.m.): 454,000 (278,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 15 & 19 11 p.m.): 381,000 (211,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, May 15-19 midnight): 836,000 (498,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, May 15 & 17-19 1 a.m.): 368,000 (240,000 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 +59 percent (219,000 vs. 138,000) from one week earlier and down -3 percent (219,000 vs. 225,000) from the same week one year ago (May 16-22, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is up +15 percent (144,000 vs. 125,000) from one week earlier and down -34 percent (144,000 vs. 217,000) from the same week one year ago (May 16-22, 2016).

ESPN2’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, May 15-19): 198,000 (104,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Dan Le Batard Show (live)” (ESPN2, May 15-18): 66,000 (40,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, May 15-18): 61,000 (23,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Nacion ESPN” (ESPN2, May 15 5 p.m.): 42,000 (23,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Jalen & Jacoby” (ESPN2, May 15-16 & 18-19): 61,000 (36,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Best of Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, May 16 & 18): 64,000 (40,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 15-19 10 a.m.): 113,000 (58,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 15-19 11 a.m.): 98,000 (53,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 15 & 17 7 p.m.): 173,000 (85,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, May 17-18 11 p.m.): 153,000 (83,000 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 +115 percent (99,000 vs. 46,000) from one week earlier and up +65 percent (99,000 vs. 60,000) from the same week one year ago (May 16-22, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is up +81 percent (49,000 vs. 27,000) from one week earlier and up +7 percent (49,000 vs. 46,000) from the same week one year ago (May 16-22, 2016).

ESPNU’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, May 15-19): 19,000 (14,000 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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