ESPN Top 10 (and Select) Programs

RANK PROGRAM DAY TIME DUR HH VWRS
(000)
1 NFL PRE-SEASON FOOTBALL: Cleveland @ Washington Mon 8:00PM-11:09PM 189 4.5 6898
2 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Las Vegas/Philadelphia Wed 7:30PM-10:06PM 156 3.1 4988
3 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Philadelphia/Chicago Thu 7:30PM- 9:47PM 137 2.5 3873
4 SPORTSCENTER LATE (live) Mon 11:09PM-12:00AM 51 1.8 2696
5 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Pearland/Chicago Tue 7:30PM- 9:36PM 126 1.4 2201
6 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES: Bristol (August) Fri 8:20PM-11:02PM 162 1.0 1631
7 ESPN ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY: Kid Danny Tue 9:36PM- 9:54PM 18 1.0 1576
8 SPORTSCENTER PRIME (live) Thu 7:38PM- 8:00PM 22 0.9 1335
9 X GAMES (live) Thu 10:09PM-10:30PM 21 0.9 1276
10 MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN (live) Mon 7:00PM- 8:00PM 60 0.9 1221
17 MLB SUNDAY NIGHT: L.A. Angels/Oakland Sun 8:00PM-11:14PM 194 0.7 1025
26 MLB WED NIGHT – LATE: San Diego/L.A. Dodgers Wed 10:06PM- 1:27AM 201 0.6 830
51 ARENA FOOTBALL: Arizona/Cleveland Sat 8:00PM-10:37PM 157 0.3 583

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN is up 99 percent (2.696 million vs. 1.352 million) from one week earlier and up 20 percent (2.696 million vs. 2.246 million) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is up 15 percent (839,000 vs. 747,000) from one week earlier and down 7 percent (839,000 vs. 825,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

The week’s coverage of the Little League World Series on ESPN averaged 1.83 million viewers — up 59 percent from the same week in 2013 (1,150,000)

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

  • “NFL Insiders” (ESPN, Aug. 22 at 3-4 p.m.): 438,000
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, Aug. 22 at 4-5 p.m.): 465,000
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, Aug. 19 at 5:14-5:31 p.m., Aug. 21-22 at 5-5:30 p.m.): 641,000
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, Aug. 18-19 & 21-22 at 5:30-6 p.m.): 951,000 (Jason Whitlock week)
  • “Outside the Lines – Weekend” (ESPN, Aug. 24 at 9:00-9:30 a.m.): 696,000
  • “The Sports Reporters” (ESPN, Aug. 24 at 9:30-10:00 a.m.): 751,000

ESPN2 Top 10 (and Select) Programs

RANK PROGRAM DAY TIME DUR HH VWRS
(000)
1 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Chicago/Cumberland Mon 8:14PM-10:29PM 135 1.1 1859
2 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Venezuela/Puerto Rico Mon 6:00PM- 8:14PM 134 0.6 914
3 USA BASKETBALL MEN: Puerto Rico/USA Fri 7:00PM- 9:08PM 128 0.5 707
4 PARDON THE INTERRUPTION Wed 5:30PM- 6:00PM 30 0.4 523
5 SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-AM (live) Sun 10:00AM-11:43AM 103 0.3 481
6 BOXING SERIES: A. Trout/D. Dawson Fri 9:08PM-11:15PM 127 0.3 444
7 BASEBALL TONIGHT (live) Mon 10:29PM-11:00PM 31 0.3 398
8 NASCAR SPRINT CUP QUALIFYING (live) Fri 5:30PM- 7:00PM 90 0.3 363
9 HERBIES: Sun 11:43AM-12:00PM 17 0.2 362
10 FIRST TAKE (live) Fri 10:00AM-12:00PM 120 0.3 348
10 FIRST TAKE (live) Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 120 0.3 348
13 MLB WED NIGHT – EARLY: L.A. Angels/Boston Wed 7:00PM-10:56PM 236 0.2 342
20 SUPER COPA FOOTBALL: Atletico Madrid/Barcelona Tue 4:55PM- 7:00PM 125 0.2 320
21 WNBA PLAYOFFS: Chicago/Atlanta Sun 7:04PM- 9:13PM 129 0.2 314
22 WNBA PLAYOFFS: Los Angeles/Phoenix Sun 9:13PM-11:11PM 118 0.2 312
26 WNBA PLAYOFFS: San Antonio/Minnesota Thu 9:10PM-11:10PM 120 0.2 278
29 WNBA PLAYOFFS: Washington/Indiana Sat 5:00PM- 7:35PM 155 0.2 267
37 WNBA PLAYOFFS: San Antonio/Minnesota Sat 7:35PM- 9:19PM 104 0.2 245
38 TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES WOMEN: New Haven Open (Final) Sat 3:09PM- 4:42PM 93 0.2 244
46 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER: Portland/Seattle Sun 5:00PM- 7:04PM 124 0.2 209
47 USA BASKETBALL MEN: Hoops for Troops Mon 2:00PM- 4:01PM 121 0.2 203
54 TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES WOMEN: New Haven Open (Semifinal) Fri 1:00PM- 3:00PM 120 0.2 185
56 TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES WOMEN: New Haven Open (Quarterfinal) Thu 1:00PM- 3:00PM 120 0.1 174
59 AMATEUR SOFTBALL: Baja, CA/Greensburg, PA Tue 7:00PM- 9:00PM 120 0.1 168
62 WNBA PLAYOFFS: Washington/Indiana Thu 7:00PM- 9:10PM 130 0.1 158
71 FANTASY SHOW (live) Sat 10:00AM-11:00AM 60 0.1 111
72 TENNIS:US OPEN SERIES MEN: Winston-Salem (Semifinal) Fri 3:00PM- 5:12PM 132 0.1 108
75 WOMEN’S PRO SOCCER: Washington/Seattle Sun 11:11PM- 1:10AM 119 0.1 104

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN2 is down 21 percent (476,000 vs. 605,000) from one week earlier and down 2 percent (476,000 vs. 487,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is down 22 percent (229,000 vs. 293,000) from one week earlier and even (229,000 vs. 229,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

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

  • “Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, Aug. 18-22 at 6-10 a.m.): 193,000
  • “First Take” (ESPN2, Aug. 18 at 10-11 a.m., Aug. 19-22 at 10 a.m.-noon): 342,000
  • “Numbers Never Lie” (ESPN2, Aug. 19 at 2:30-3 p.m., Aug. 20-22 at noon-1 p.m.): 238,000
  • “Paul Finebaum Show” (ESPN2, Aug. 22 at 5:12-5:30 p.m.): 66,000
  • “Outside the Lines” (ESPN2, Aug. 18 at 5:30-6 p.m.): 187,000
  • “Olbermann” (ESPN2, Aug. 18-19 & 21-22): 174,000

ESPNU Top 10 Programs

RANK PROGRAM DAY TIME DUR HH VWRS
(000)
1 SPORTSCENTER FEATURED: Mendota High School Sun 7:30PM- 8:00PM 30 0.0 139
2 WOMEN’S YOUTH SOCCER: Nigeria/Germany Sun 11:30PM- 2:27AM 177 0.0 125
3 COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE (live) Mon 2:30PM- 3:00PM 30 0.1 123
4 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Byrnes(SC)/Northwestern(SC) Fri 6:00PM- 9:10PM 190 0.1 116
5 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Leeds(AL)/Madison Academy(AL) Fri 9:10PM-12:19AM 189 0.1 110
6 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Niceville(FL)/Clay-Chalkville(AL) Sat 4:00PM- 7:00PM 180 0.1 102
7 ESPN ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY: The U Sun 8:00PM-10:00PM 120 0.1 94
8 ESPN ORIGINAL ENTERTAINMENT: COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPECIAL Tue 3:00PM- 4:00PM 60 0.1 89
9 ESPNU COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Wed 7:00PM- 8:00PM 60 0.1 86
10 ESPNU COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Wed 10:00PM-11:00PM 60 0.1 84

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNU is down 3 percent (60,000 vs. 62,000) from one week earlier and down 5 percent (60,000 vs. 63,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is even (45,000 vs. 45,000) from one week earlier and up 13 percent (45,000 vs. 40,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

ESPNU’s daily talker “The Herd” (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) averaged 48,000 viewers fot the week.

ESPNEWS Top 10 Programs

RANK PROGRAM DAY TIME DUR HH VWRS
(000)
1 SPORTSCENTER EARLY (live) Sat 6:00PM- 7:05PM 65 0.1 237
2 SPORTSCENTER PRIME (live) Wed 10:01PM-10:55PM 54 0.1 209
3 AROUND THE HORN Tue 5:00PM- 5:30PM 30 0.1 200
4 WNBA PLAYOFFS: Minnesota/San Antonio Sat 7:05PM- 7:35PM 30 0.1 174
5 OTL – FIRST REPORT (live) Wed 5:30PM- 6:00PM 30 0.1 163
6 SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live) Sun 2:00PM- 3:00PM 60 0.1 160
7 SPORTSCENTER AFTERNOON (live) Wed 5:01PM- 5:30PM 29 0.1 139
8 SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live) Sun 1:00PM- 2:00PM 60 0.1 136
9 SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live) Sun 3:00PM- 4:01PM 61 0.1 135
10 SPORTSCENTER WEEKEND-PM (live) Sat 1:00PM- 2:00PM 60 0.1 131

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNEWS is down 10 percent (79,000 vs. 88,000) from one week earlier and down 15 percent (79,000 vs. 93,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 2013).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNEWS is down 2 percent (57,000 vs. 58,000) from one week earlier and down 10 percent (57,000 vs. 63,000) from the same week one year ago (August 19-25, 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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