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

About Douglas Pucci

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

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