ESPNRatingsBy Douglas Pucci on

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Ratings News and Notes

  • Oklahoma-Florida, the longest game in softball’s Women’s College World Series Finals history (June 5 at 7 p.m. on ESPN), averaged a total live audience (TV + streaming) of 1.583 million viewers, the most-watched WCWS Finals Game 1 to-date (Best-of-3 series format began in 2005). The viewership for the Oklahoma-Florida marathon, 17-inning affair was up 51 percent from last year’s WCWS Finals first game featuring the Sooners and Auburn Tigers (June 6, 2016).

    The Oklahoma Sooners’ two-game sweep of the Florida Gators (June 5-6 on ESPN) averaged a total live audience (TV + streaming) of 1.72 million viewers, the most-watched sweep in Women’s College World Series Finals history (since 2005); up 33 percent from 2014, the last time the WCWS Finals failed to go to a decisive third game. This year’s two-game average was also up 33 percent over last season’s WCWS Finals first two games (June 6-7, 2016) featuring Oklahoma and Auburn. The Sooners won the 2016 series in three games.

    Tulsa, Okla. was the highest-rated local market throughout the 14-game WCWS, earning a 3.9 rating.

    (Sources: ESPN [1], [2])

  • The super regionals round of men’s college baseball World Series on ESPN on June 10-11 (5 telecssts) averaged 462,000 viewers and 173,000 adults 18-49. Compared to the lone CWS Super Regional on the year-ago Saturday in prime time (Texas A&M-TCU on June 11, 2016: 460,000 viewers), Oregon State-Vanderbilt on June 10 (443,000 viewers) was down just 4 percent.

    The CWS Super Regionals on ESPN2 — 12 game telecasts — averaged 363,000 viewers and 128,000 adults 18-49, down 2 percent (in viewers) and up 8 percent (in adults 18-49) from the year-ago weekend (June 10-12, 2016: 372,000 viewers/118,000 adults 18-49 from 8 telecasts).

    While ESPNU’s CWS coverage — 7 game telecasts — was down a steep 71 percent in viewers (71,000 vs. 244,000), the ESPNU slate of 9 games from June 10-12, 2016 was more extensive; more of this year’s bigger games aired on ESPN and ESPN2.

  • The 2017 NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championships from Eugene, Ore. on June 7-10 across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU averaged 366,000 viewers, down 19 percent from last year (June 8-11, 2016: 454,000 viewers).

  • The June 6 WNBA Basketball Washington-Dallas on ESPN2 (159,000 viewers), down 5 percent from the June 7, 2016 New York-Los Angeles (168,000 viewers, also on ESPN2).

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 +9 percent (979,000 vs. 899,000) from one week earlier and up +8 percent (979,000 vs. 910,000) from the same week one year ago (June 6-12, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is down less than -1 percent (498,000 vs. 500,000) from one week earlier and down -12 percent (498,000 vs. 568,000) from the same week one year ago (June 6-12, 2016).

ESPN’s daily programs viewership averages for the week:

  • “First Take” (ESPN, June 5-9 10 a.m.): 460,000 (270,000 adults 18-49)
  • “First Take” (ESPN, June 6 7-7:30 p.m.): 447,000 (259,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Outside the Lines: First Report” (ESPN, June 5-9): 302,000 (165,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, June 5-9): 304,000 (168,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, June 6-9 3 p.m.): 381,000 (221,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, June 7 8 p.m.): 857,000 (441,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN, June 5-9): 395,000 (241,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, June 5-9): 464,000 (273,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, June 5-9): 500,000 (260,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, June 5-9): 731,000 (362,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 5-9 7 a.m.): 322,000 (177,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 5-9 8 a.m.): 310,000 (180,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 5-9 9 a.m.): 317,000 (175,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 5-9 6 p.m.): 466,000 (261,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 6-9 11 p.m.): 458,000 (219,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 6-9 midnight): 816,000 (487,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, June 5-6 & 8 1 a.m.): 425,000 (242,000 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 +14 percent (325,000 vs. 284,000) from one week earlier and up less than +1 percent (325,000 vs. 424,000) from the same week one year ago (June 6-12, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is up +1 percent (177,000 vs. 175,000) from one week earlier and down -29 percent (177,000 vs. 248,000) from the same week one year ago (June 6-12, 2016).

ESPN2’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, June 5-9): 167,000 (79,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Dan Le Batard Show (live)” (ESPN2, June 5-8): 69,000 (32,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, June 5-6 & 8): 57,000 (28,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Nacion ESPN” (ESPN2, June 5 5 p.m.): 58,000 (28,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Jalen & Jacoby” (ESPN2, June 5-8): 68,000 (44,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Best of Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, Late June 6 & 8 5 a.m.): 38,000 (22,000 adults 18-49)
  • “First Take” (ESPN2, June 7 7-8 p.m.): 212,000 (116,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 5-9 10 a.m.): 115,000 (50,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 5-9 11 a.m.): 102,000 (46,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 6 & 8 7 p.m.): 147,000 (72,000 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 down -10 percent (83,000 vs. 92,000) from one week earlier and down -53 percent (83,000 vs. 176,000) from the same week one year ago (June 6-12, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is down -14 percent (49,000 vs. 57,000) from one week earlier and down -49 percent (49,000 vs. 96,000) from the same week one year ago (June 6-12, 2016).

ESPNU’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, June 5-9): 20,000 (13,000 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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