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Ratings News and Notes

It’s a huge month for football fans in Atlanta. Both the Georgia Bulldogs in college football and the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL are participating teams in their sport’s playoffs. But the choice is clear which those within the Atlanta market prefer: the Bulldogs. For their classic College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl versus Oklahoma on ESPN Monday, Jan. 1, the game generated a 33.7 metered market rating (which equated to 1.57 million Atlanta viewers). Local viewership grew substantially larger for ESPN’s CFP National Championship (vs. Alabama on Jan. 8) as it posted an impressive 47.8 local rating (estimated 2.2 million viewers). As for the Falcons’ wild card victory over the Los Angeles Rams on NBC from Saturday, Jan. 6, the Atlanta market delivered a 29.0 overnight household rating that later resulted in 1.17 million viewers.

About every ESPN studio show got an extra viewer bounce on Tuesday, Jan. 2, the day following the College Football Playoff semifinal games. Most notable was the 6 p.m. “SportsCenter” (aka “SC6”) which drew 833,000 viewers. It is the show’s all-time best viewer mark in the time slot’s history. (Source: ESPN)

ESPN Top 25 (and Select) Programs

Week of Dec. 18-24, 2017
ESPN ratings for December 18-24, 2017
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Week of Dec. 25-31, 2017
ESPN ratings for December 25-31, 2017
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Week of Jan. 1-7, 2018
ESPN ratings for January 1-7, 2018
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ESPN’s daily programs viewership averages for the week:

  • “First Take” (ESPN, Dec. 18-22 10 a.m.): 494,000 (254,000 adults 18-49)
  • “First Take” (ESPN, Dec. 25-29 10 a.m.): 517,000 (257,000 adults 18-49)
  • “First Take” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5 10 a.m.): 565,000 (300,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Outside the Lines: First Report” (ESPN, Dec. 18-21): 349,000 (176,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Outside the Lines: First Report” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 468,000 (253,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, Dec. 18-21): 400,000 (192,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, Dec. 25): 385,000 (189,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 543,000 (277,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, Dec. 19-21): 364,000 (191,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 472,000 (261,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN, Dec. 19-21): 384,000 (222,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 453,000 (252,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, Dec. 18-21): 509,000 (271,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 531,000 (292,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, Dec. 18-21): 586,000 (262,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Around the Horn” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 611,000 (304,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, Dec. 18-21): 847,000 (368,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5): 898,000 (423,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 18-22 7 a.m.): 364,000 (212,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 25-29 7 a.m.): 400,000 (231,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 1-5 7 a.m.): 413,000 (227,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 18-22 8 a.m.): 367,000 (210,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 25-29 8 a.m.): 426,000 (230,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 1-5 8 a.m.): 453,000 (239,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 18-22 9 a.m.): 390,000 (216,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 25-29 9 a.m.): 508,000 (261,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5 9 a.m.): 444,000 (232,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 18-22 noon): 377,000 (211,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 26-29 noon): 561,000 (260,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5 noon): 476,000 (264,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 19-21 6 p.m.): 562,000 (294,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 25 6 p.m.): 240,000 (97,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 2-5 6 p.m.): 620,000 (342,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 19-21 & 23 11 p.m.): 653,000 (330,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 31 11 p.m.): 612,000 (259,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 2, 4 & 6-7 11 p.m.): 605,000 (325,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 18-19 & 23-24 midnight): 1,233,000 (621,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Dec. 25 & 27-31 midnight): 1,866,000 (825,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN, Jan. 1-5 midnight): 1,361,000 (684,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, Dec. 19-23 1 a.m.): 660,000 (350,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, Dec. 26-27 & 29 1 a.m.): 988,000 (480,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, Jan. 2 & 4-6 1 a.m.): 514,000 (300,000 adults 18-49)

ESPN2 Top 25 (and Select) Programs

Week of Dec. 18-24, 2017
ESPN2 ratings for December 18-24, 2017
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Week of Dec. 25-31, 2017
ESPN2 ratings for December 25-31, 2017
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Week of Jan. 1-7, 2018
ESPN2 ratings for January 1-7, 2018
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ESPN2’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “Golic & Wingo” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-22): 204,000 (91,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Golic & Wingo” (ESPN2, Dec. 25-29): 117,000 (52,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Golic & Wingo” (ESPN2, Jan. 1-5): 170,000 (74,000 adults 18-49)
  • “College Football Live” (ESPN2, Dec. 19-21): 102,000 (52,000 adults 18-49)
  • “College Football Live” (ESPN2, Jan. 2-5): 140,000 (65,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-19 & 21-22): 88,000 (49,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, Jan. 2-5): 101,000 (51,000 adults 18-49)
  • “The Paul Finebaum Show” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-21): 117,000 (60,000 adults 18-49)
  • “The Paul Finebaum Show” (ESPN2, Jan. 2-5): 116,000 (49,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Daily Fantasy Football” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-22 afternoon): 69,000 (44,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Daily Fantasy Football” (ESPN2, Dec. 26-29 afternoon): 112,000 (52,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Jalen & Jacoby” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-22 late night): 110,000 (59,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN2, Dec. 18 & 22): 160,000 (84,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN2, Dec. 26-27): 214,000 (109,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN2, Dec. 22): 189,000 (82,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN2, Dec. 25-29): 207,000 (92,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NFL Live” (ESPN2, Dec. Jan. 1): 1,544,000 (599,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsNation” (ESPN2, Dec. 18): 130,000 (80,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-22 10 a.m.): 130,000 (57,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, Dec. 25-29 10 a.m.): 170,000 (79,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, Jan. 1-5 10 a.m.): 194,000 (79,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, Dec. 18-22 11 a.m.): 132,000 (68,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, Dec. 25-29 11 a.m.): 207,000 (99,000 adults 18-49)
  • “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, Jan. 1-5 11 a.m.): 262,000 (119,000 adults 18-49)

ESPNU Top 25 (and Select) Programs

Week of Dec. 18-24, 2017
ESPNU ratings for December 18-24, 2017
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Week of Dec. 25-31, 2017
ESPNU ratings for December 25-31, 2017
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Week of Jan. 1-7, 2018
ESPNU ratings for January 1-7, 2018
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ESPNU’s daily show viewership averages for the week:

  • “The Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, Dec. 19-22): 32,000 (22,000 adults 18-49)
  • “The Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, Jan. 2-5): 37,000 (23,000 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.