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Ratings News and Notes
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Despite notable inductees like quarterback Kurt Warner, running back LaDainian Tomlinson, defensive end Jason Taylor and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the near five-hour “Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony” (697,000 viewers) drew its lowest viewership on an ESPN network since Aug. 4, 2012 (504,000 viewers). The event was 17 percent below last year’s ceremony (837,000 on ESPN) which had taken place opposite the Rio Summer Olympics. Also inducted into this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame was kicker Morten Andersen, running back Terrell Davis and safety Kenny Easley. The ceremony had also aired on NFL Network.
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There were mixed results for the semifinals abd finals of The Basketball Tournament on ESPN from Aug. 1 & 3.
The first semifinal between Team Challenge ALS and Scarlet & Gray on Aug. 1 (362,000 viewers) was down 1 percent from last year’s first semifinal (Team Colorado-Always a Brave on July 31, 2016: 365,000 viewers).
The second semifinal between Boeheim’s Army and Overseas Elite on Aug. 1 (411,000 viewers) was up 10 percent from last year’s second semifinal (City of God-Overseas Elite on July 31, 2016: 373,000 viewers).
Overseas Elite’s 86-83 victory over Team Challenge ALS in the final on Aug. 3 (296,000 viewers) was down 14 percent from last year’s final (Team Colorado-Overseas Elite on Aug. 2, 2016: 344,000 viewers).
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In the women’s tennis tournament “Bank of the West Classic” as part of the U.S. Open Series on ESPN2, Coco Vandeweghe’s victory over Catherine Bellis in an all-American semifinal on Aug. 5 (127,000 viewers) registered an 11-percent decline from the year-ago comparable early evening semifinal (Johanna Konta-Dominika Cibulkova on July 23, 2016: 143,000 viewers). On Aug. 6, Madison Keys’ win over Vandeweghe in an all-American final (186,000 viewers) drew two-thirds of the audience of last year’s final when Konta had defeated the more notable Venus Williams (July 24, 2016: 279,000 viewers).
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The “2017 NBA Africa Game” from Johannesburg, South Africa on ESPN2 from Aug. 5 featuring Dirk Nowitzki, C.J. McCollum, Kristaps Porzingis and the game’s MVP Victor Oladipo (289,000 viewers) was at a 38-percent deckine from two years ago (Aug. 1, 2015: 463,000 viewers), although the prior game had aired on the ESPN flagship.
ESPN Top 25 (and Select) Programs
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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN is down -0.3 percent (650,000 vs. 652,000) from one week earlier and down -5 percent (650,000 vs. 684,000) from the same week one year ago (August 1-7, 2016).
In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN is up +2 percent (368,000 vs. 362,000) from one week earlier and even (368,000 vs. 368,000) from the same week one year ago (August 1-7, 2016).
ESPN’s daily programs viewership averages for the week:
- “First Take” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 10 a.m.): 387,000 (214,000 adults 18-49)
- “Outside the Lines: First Report” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 236,000 (122,000 adults 18-49)
- “NFL Live” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 284,000 (152,000 adults 18-49)
- “NBA: The Jump” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 264,000 (144,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsNation” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 284,000 (167,000 adults 18-49)
- “Highly Questionable” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 350,000 (202,000 adults 18-49)
- “Around the Horn” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 425,000 (215,000 adults 18-49)
- “Pardon the Interruption” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4): 635,000 (306,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 7 a.m.): 257,000 (152,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 8 a.m.): 255,000 (144,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 9 a.m.): 317,000 (178,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 6 p.m.): 391,000 (218,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 11 p.m.): 378,000 (200,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 midnight): 350,000 (191,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter at Night” (ESPN, July 31-Aug. 4 1 a.m.): 333,000 (191,000 adults 18-49)
ESPN2 Top 25 (and Select) Programs
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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPN2 is down -28 percent (167,000 vs. 233,000) from one week earlier and up +2 percent (167,000 vs. 164,000) from the same week one year ago (August 1-7, 2016).
In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPN2 is down -2 percent (125,000 vs. 128,000) from one week earlier and down -16 percent (125,000 vs. 149,000) from the same week one year ago (August 1-7, 2016).
ESPN2’s daily show viewership averages for the week:
- “Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, July 31-Aug. 4): 125,000 (64,000 adults 18-49)
- “Jalen & Jacoby” (ESPN2, July 31-Aug. 4 afternoon): 112,000 (67,000 adults 18-49)
- “MLB Network’s Intentional Talk” (ESPN2, July 31-Aug. 1 & 3-4): 84,000 (44,000 adults 18-49)
- “College Football Live” (ESPN2, July 31-Aug. 1 & 3-4 5 p.m.): 82,000 (43,000 adults 18-49)
- “Best of Mike & Mike in the Morning” (ESPN2, Late Aug. 1 5 a.m.): 43,000 (25,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, July 31-Aug. 4 10 a.m.): 108,000 (56,000 adults 18-49)
- “SportsCenter” (ESPN2, July 31-Aug. 4 11 a.m.): 106,000 (56,000 adults 18-49)
ESPNU Top 25 (and Select) Programs
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In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), ESPNU is even (69,000 vs. 69,000) from one week earlier and up +61 percent (69,000 vs. 43,000) from the same week one year ago (August 1-7, 2016).
In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), ESPNU is down -4 percent (45,000 vs. 47,000) from one week earlier and up +50 percent (46,000 vs. 30,000) from the same week one year ago (August 1-7, 2016).
ESPNU’s daily show viewership averages for the week:
- “Dan Le Batard Show” (ESPNU, July 31-Aug. 4): 25,000 (15,000 adults 18-49)
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
