If you would like to ask about or request ratings for a program or event on these networks, please reach Douglas on Twitter @SonOfTheBronx.

Ratings News and Notes

  • ESPN was the No. 1 cable network among adults 18-49 on Tuesday, June 13 (averaging a 0.6 rating from 8-11 p.m.; also, the runner-up adults 18-49 mark on all of television that night, only behind NBC) with its entire prime time lineup dedicated to the first two parts of the “30 for 30” sports documentary “Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies” which chronicled the NBA rivalry throughout the 1980’s that helped the league’s rise in popularity.

    Much like the L.A. Lakers having the edge over the Celtics in that mid-80’s NBA Finals rivalry, Los Angeles won the metered market rating battle over Boston for both Parts 1-2 of the “30 for 30” doc on June 13, according to ESPN: Part One 8-10 p.m. – Los Angeles 1.4, Boston 0.8; Part Two 10-11 p.m. – Los Angeles 1.7, Boston 1.3

  • The men’s college baseball World Series on June 17-18 (4 telecasts) averaged 873,000 viewers and 289,000 adults 18-49 — up 80 percent in viewers (vs. 486,000) and up 110 percent among adults 18-49 (vs. 138,000) compared to CWS action from June 18-19, 2016. This year, three of those weekend games aired on ESPN, one on ESPN2; last year, three had aired on ESPN2, one on ESPNU.

    ESPN reports the first six games of this year’s CWS (June 17-19) reached a 6-year high in viewership and its third-best start ever with a total audience delivery of 923,000 viewers (television and streaming combined). In New Orleans TV market, the Saturday, June 17 LSU-Florida State game delivered a 14.4 local ratimg; the Monday, June 19 LSU-Oregon State did a 14.0. Those ratings are the second- and third-best for the CWS for any market since 2009. Overall, New Orleans is the top-rated local market through the first six games with a 7.1 local rating, followed by Louisville, Kentucky (2.8), and Portland, Oregon (2.1). (Source: The Advocate-Baton Rouge)

  • ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball continues to see gains from last year. The June 18th 4+ hour telecast between two of American League’s best, Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros, drew 1.72 million viewers — a 39-percent jump from the year-ago SNB game, Pittsburgh-Chicago Cubs (June 19, 2016: 1.24 million viewers).

    In the Houston market, the game registered a 5.4 local rating equaling 132,000 households. (Source: Houston Chronicle)

    Thru June 18, SNB has averaged 1.92 million viewers on TV and 38,000 viewers via streaming this season; up 13 percent from the same point last season (1.74 million in 2016). (Source: ESPN)

  • The early Sunday evening MLS Soccer match of Philadelphia-New York on June 18 — first on ESPN2, then on ESPN after a College World Series baseball game — averaged 270,000 viewers, down 26 percent from the June 19, 2016 Sporting Kansas City-FC Dallas MLS match (363,000 viewers) which had only aired on ESPN.

  • The June 13 WNBA Basketball Dallas-L.A. Sparks game on ESPN2 (110,000 viewers), nearly half of what the June 14, 2016 Indiana-Minnesota (217,000 viewers, also on ESPN2).

espnlogo

ESPN Top 25 (and Select) Programs

ESPN ratings for June 12-18, 2017
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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN is down -2 percent (964,000 vs. 979,000) from one week earlier and down -12 percent (964,000 vs. 1,099,000) from the same week one year ago (June 13-19, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is down -4 percent (477,000 vs. 498,000) from one week earlier and down -26 percent (477,000 vs. 643,000) from the same week one year ago (June 13-19, 2016).

ESPN’s daily programs viewership averages for the week:

  • “First Take” (ESPN, June 12-16 10 a.m.): 445,000 (236,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Outside the Lines: First Report” (ESPN, June 12-16): 274,000 (151,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, June 12-16): 292,000 (164,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, June 12 & 14-16): 336,000 (202,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN, June 12-16): 379,000 (230,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, June 12-16): 446,000 (2703,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, June 12-16): 464,000 (253,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, June 12-16): 669,000 (333,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 12-16 7 a.m.): 292,000 (162,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 12-16 8 a.m.): 281,000 (157,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 12-16 9 a.m.): 292,000 (159,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 12-16 6 p.m.): 425,000 (247,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 12-13 & 16 11 p.m.): 362,000 (202,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, June 12-13 & 15-16 midnight): 640,000 (366,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, June 13-16 1 a.m.): 332,000 (202,000 adults 18-49)

ESPN2

ESPN2 Top 25 (and Select) Programs

ESPN2 ratings for June 12-18, 2017
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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN2 is down -16 percent (274,000 vs. 325,000) from one week earlier and down -25 percent (274,000 vs. 363,000) from the same week one year ago (June 13-19, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is down -8 percent (163,000 vs. 177,000) from one week earlier and down -41 percent (163,000 vs. 275,000) from the same week one year ago (June 13-19, 2016).

ESPN2’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, June 12-16): 170,000 (84,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Dan Le Batard Show (live)” (ESPN2, June 12-16): 74,000 (42,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, June 14-16): 69,000 (33,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Best of Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, Late June 13-15 5 a.m.): 73,000 (41,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 12-16 10 a.m.): 138,000 (64,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 12-16 11 a.m.): 120,000 (60,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 12-14): 139,000 (69,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 14-15 11 p.m.): 136,000 (72,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, June 14 midnight): 128,000 (76,000 adults 18-49)

ESPNU

ESPNU Top 25 (and Select) Programs

ESPNU ratings for June 12-18, 2017
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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNU is down -42 percent (48,000 vs. 83,000) from one week earlier and up +14 percent (48,000 vs. 42,000) from the same week one year ago (June 13-19, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is down -39 percent (30,000 vs. 49,000) from one week earlier and down -25 percent (30,000 vs. 40,000) from the same week one year ago (June 13-19, 2016).

ESPNU’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, June 12116): 19,000 (11,000 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.