ESPN Ratings Buzz: August 11-17

ESPN Top 10 Programs

RANK	PROGRAM	DAY	TIME	DUR	HH	VWRS (000)
1	NASCAR SPRINT CUP: Michigan	Sun	1:00PM- 4:30PM	210	3.2	5150
2	NFL PRE-SEASON FOOTBALL: Jacksonville/Chicago	Thu	8:00PM-11:12PM	192	2.6	3835
3	SPORTSCENTER EARLY (live)	Sun	4:30PM- 5:00PM	30	1.5	2534
4	NASCAR SPRINT CUP COUNTDOWN (live)	Sun	12:00PM- 1:00PM	60	1.4	1979
5	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Guadalupe, Mexico/Tokyo, Japan	Sun	5:00PM- 7:35PM	155	1.2	1875
6	NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES: Ohio (August)	Sat	2:45PM- 6:00PM	195	0.9	1473
7	SPORTSCENTER LATE (live)	Thu	11:12PM-12:00AM	48	1.0	1470
8	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES (live)	Fri	3:23PM- 5:00PM	97	1.0	1449
9	MLB SUNDAY NIGHT: Oakland/Atlanta	Sun	8:00PM-11:00PM	180	0.9	1366
10	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Nashville, Tenn./Cumberland, R.I.	Sat	7:00PM- 9:18PM	138	0.7	1118

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN is up 61 percent (1.352 million vs. 838,000) from one week earlier and down 7 percent (1.352 million vs. 1.461 million) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is up 15 percent (747,000 vs. 648,000) from one week earlier and down 7 percent (747,000 vs. 805,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

Jeff Gordon’s victory at the “Pure Michigan 400” (5.15 million viewers) on ESPN August 17th drew 12 percent more viewers than Joey Logano’s 2013 win (4.585 million viewers on August 18, 2013).

The week’s coverage of the Little League World Series on ESPN averaged 1.1 million viewers — up 12 percent from the same week in 2013 (983,000)

ESPN’s weekday afternoon talkers’ viewership averages for the week:

“NFL Insiders” (ESPN, Aug. 11-13 at 3-4 p.m.): 356,000
“NFL Live” (ESPN, Aug. 11-13 at 4-5 p.m.): 487,000
“Around the Horn” (ESPN, Aug. 11-15 at 5-5:30 p.m.): 703,000
“Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, Aug. 11-15 at 5:30-6 p.m.): 894,000 (Jason Whitlock week)
“Outside the Lines – Weekend” (ESPN, Aug. 17 at 9:00-9:30 a.m.): 556,000
“The Sports Reporters” (ESPN, Aug. 17 at 9:30-10:00 a.m.): 649,000

ESPN’s viewership for the remaining MLB games for the week included:

“L.A. Dodgers/Atlanta” (ESPN, Aug. 11 7:00-10:25 p.m.): 947,000 viewers
“N.Y. Yankees/Baltimore” (ESPN, Aug. 13 7:00-10:07 p.m.): 692,000 viewers

ESPN2 Top 10 Programs

RANK	PROGRAM	DAY	TIME	DUR	HH	VWRS (000)
1	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Pearland, Tex./Philadelphia, Penn.	Sun	7:00PM- 9:37PM	157	1.5	2412
2	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Seoul, South Korea/Humacao, Puerto Rico	Sun	12:00PM- 2:44PM	164	0.6	988
3	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Vancouver, B.C./Maracaibo, Venezuela	Sat	5:00PM- 7:00PM	120	0.6	902
4	NHRA DRAG RACING: Lucas Oil Nationals	Sun	9:37PM-12:45AM	188	0.5	798
5	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Las Vegas, Nev./Rapid City, South Dakota	Thu	7:00PM- 9:04PM	124	0.6	778
6	TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES WOMEN: Cincinnati (Final)	Sun	2:44PM- 3:44PM	60	0.5	751
7	TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES MEN: Cincinnati (Final)	Sun	4:02PM- 6:00PM	118	0.4	606
8	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Venezuela/Japan	Fri	5:16PM- 7:00PM	104	0.4	556
9	TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES MEN: Cincinnati (Semifinal)	Sat	7:00PM-11:37PM	277	0.4	545
10	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Perth, Australia/Humacao, Puerto Rico	Thu	5:41PM- 6:39PM	58	0.4	463

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN2 is up 73 percent (605,000 vs. 349,000) from one week earlier and up 42 percent (605,000 vs. 425,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is up 28 percent (293,000 vs. 229,000) from one week earlier and up 6 percent (293,000 vs. 277,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

The week’s coverage of the Little League World Series on ESPN2 — buoyed by 13-year-old phenom Mo’Ne Davis and her Philadelphia team on Aug. 17 — averaged 1.14 million viewers, up an impressive 49 percent from the same week in 2013 (765,000).

ESPN2’s daily talkers’ viewership averages for the week:

“Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, Aug. 11-15 at 6-10 a.m.): 184,000
“First Take” (ESPN2, Aug. 11-14 at 10 a.m.-noon; Aug. 15 at 10-11 a.m.): 338,000
“Numbers Never Lie” (ESPN2, Aug. 11-14 at noon-1 p.m.): 267,000
“SportsNation” (ESPN2, Aug. 11 & 13 at 3-4 p.m.): 185,000
“Highly Questionable” (ESPN2, Aug. 11 & 13 at 4-4:30 p.m.): 247,000
“You Herd Me with Colin Cowherd” (ESPN2, Aug. 11-13 at 4:30-5 p.m.): 130,000
“Paul Finebaum Show” (ESPN2, Aug. 11-13 at 5-5:30 p.m.): 99,000
“Outside the Lines” (ESPN2, Aug. 11 & 13 at 5:30-6 p.m.): 105,000
“Olbermann” (ESPN2, Aug. 11-13 & 15 at 11 p.m.-12 a.m.): 141,000

Manchester United/Valencia soccer friendly on Aug. 12 (2:25-4:30 p.m.) drew a 0.1 household rating and 211,000 viewers.

Women’s pro soccer match: Western, NY/Sky Blue on Aug. 13 (7:00-9:02 p.m.) drew a 0.1 household rating and 120,000 viewers.

Amateur softball game: Bossier City, La./Robbinsville, NJ on Aug. 13 (9:02-10:38 p.m.) drew a 0.2 household rating and 384,000 viewers.

Friday night boxing (9:46-11:05 p.m.) on Aug. 15 drew a 0.2 household rating and 352,000 viewers.

ESPNU Top 10 Programs

RANK	PROGRAM	DAY	TIME	DUR	HH	VWRS (000)
1	WOMEN’S YOUTH SOCCER: Korea DPR/USA	Sat	4:45PM- 7:42PM	177	0.1	159
2	KENTUCKY SUMMER BASKETBALL (live)	Mon	1:00PM- 3:00PM	120	0.1	146
3	TOP 25 CFB GAMES OF YEAR	Mon	8:00PM-10:00PM	120	0.1	111
4	HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL	Sun	8:00PM- 9:30PM	90	0.1	107
5	E:60	Sat	7:42PM- 8:04PM	22	0.1	95
6	PAUL FINEBAUM SHOW (live)	Mon	4:00PM- 5:00PM	60	0.1	94
7	AMATEUR BASEBALL (live)	Sat	2:00PM- 4:20PM	140	0.1	90
8	COLLEGE FISHING	Sun	11:00AM-12:00PM	60	0.1	86
9	ESPN ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY	Wed	8:00PM- 9:00PM	60	0.1	81
10	E:60	Mon	3:00PM- 4:00PM	60	0.1	78

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNU is down 9 percent (62,000 vs. 68,000) from one week earlier and up 32 percent (62,000 vs. 47,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is up 7 percent (45,000 vs. 42,000) from one week earlier and up 32 percent (45,000 vs. 34,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

ESPNU’s daily talker “The Herd” (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) drew 59,000 viewers on Aug. 11; 40,000 on Aug. 13.

ESPNEWS Top 10 Programs

RANK	PROGRAM	DAY	TIME	DUR	HH	VWRS (000)
1	TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES WOMEN: Cincinnati (Final)	Sun	2:10PM- 2:44PM	34	0.2	284
2	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Venezuela/Japan	Fri	5:00PM- 5:20PM	20	0.2	272
3	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Australia/Puerto Rico	Thu	5:00PM- 5:43PM	43	0.2	240
4	LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Philadelphia/Nashville	Fri	3:09PM- 3:26PM	17	0.2	211
5	USA BASKETBALL MEN (live)	Sat	9:00PM- 9:18PM	18	0.1	206
6	SPORTSCENTER AFTERNOON (live)	Thu	5:43PM- 6:00PM	17	0.1	179
7	SPORTSCENTER AM (live)	Thu	2:00PM- 3:00PM	60	0.1	169
8	SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live)	Sun	8:00PM- 9:00PM	60	0.1	153
9	SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live)	Sun	7:00PM- 8:00PM	60	0.1	151
10	SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live)	Sun	10:00PM-10:59PM	59	0.1	150

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNEWS is down 10 percent (88,000 vs. 98,000) from one week earlier and down 4 percent (88,000 vs. 92,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNEWS is even (58,000 vs. 58,000) from one week earlier and down 19 percent (58,000 vs. 72,000) from the same week one year ago (August 12-18, 2013).

Source: Nielsen Media Research

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