The latest
NFL Network also witnessed prime time slippage due to the election (as well as due to most of their much-maligned “Thursday Night Football” slate of games), down almost 12 percent in viewership from 2015.
In prime time, the Chicago Cubs’ historic MLB playoff run that led to their eventual first World Series win in 108 years generated a 21 percent viewership boost to FS1 — the network which exclusively carried the 6-game National League Championship Series between the Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and a 2 percent lift to MLB Network reaching its new highest prime time mark and which had its most-watched telecast with Giants-Cubs NLDS Game 2 (4.6 million viewers) on 10/08/16.
FS1 saw a 11 percent year-to-year increase in its total-day audience with its improved daytime lineup that added new studio debate shows “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” and “Speak for Yourself.”
The Rio Summer Olympics gave rise to NBCSN, up 7 percent in prime time and up 13 percent in total day. It was the first time an Olympics aired in prime time on the cabler, alongside its NBC broadcast network telecasts.
The acquisition of The Open Championship (aka British Open), the return of golf in the Olympics and Tiger Woods with a decent performance at the Hero World Challenge in December all provided Golf Channel to its best total-day viewership in its 21-year history.
Prime Time (Mon.-Sat. 8-11 p.m., Sun. 7-11 p.m.)
| NETWORK | VWRS in 2016 (000) |
PCT CHG from 2015 (vwrs 000) |
PCT CHG from 2014 (vwrs 000) |
PCT CHG from 2013 (vwrs 000) |
PCT CHG from 2012 (vwrs 000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 1950 | -9.22% (2148) |
-15.98% (2321) |
-11.12% (2194) |
-16.20% (2327) |
| ESPN2 | 354 | -18.81% (436) |
-24.52% (469) |
-26.40% (481) |
-24.52% (469) |
| ESPNU * | 98 | -14.78% (115) |
-15.52% (116) |
-14.78% (115) |
— |
| NBCSN | 392 | +6.81% (367) |
+30.67% (300) |
+41.52% (277) |
+62.66% (241) |
| FS1 * | 479 | +20.65% (397) |
+40.88% (340) |
+105.58% (233) |
+144.39% (196) |
| FS2 * | 33 | -15.38% (39) |
+43.48% (23) |
-5.71% (35) |
-13.16% (38) |
| NFLN | 351 | -11.81% (398) |
-8.83% (385) |
-12.25% (400) |
-6.65% (376) |
| NBATV | 118 | +8.26% (109) |
-7.81% (128) |
+1.72% (116) |
-3.28% (122) |
| GOLF | 126 | +1.61% (124) |
+2.44% (123) |
-8.70% (138) |
-7.35% (136) |
| MLBN | 146 | +2.82% (142) |
+10.61% (132) |
+4.29% (140) |
+37.74% (106) |
Total Day (6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
| NETWORK | VWRS in 2016 (000) |
PCT CHG from 2015 (vwrs 000) |
PCT CHG from 2014 (vwrs 000) |
PCT CHG from 2013 (vwrs 000) |
PCT CHG from 2012 (vwrs 000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 817 | -9.02% (906) |
-19.59% (1016) |
-15.77% (970) |
-19.51% (1015) |
| ESPN2 | 245 | -8.92% (269) |
-10.58% (274) |
-10.58% (274) |
-13.12% (282) |
| ESPNU * | 52 | -7.14% (56) |
-16.13% (62) |
-13.33% (60) |
— |
| NBCSN | 173 | +13.07% (153) |
+16.89% (148) |
+84.04% (94) |
+69.61% (102) |
| FS1 * | 182 | +10.98% (164) |
+38.93% (131) |
+52.94% (119) |
+55.56% (117) |
| FS2 * | 21 | -4.55% (22) |
+40.00% (15) |
-4.55% (22) |
+5.00% (20) |
| NFLN | 159 | -2.45% (163) |
-3.05% (164) |
-1.24% (161) |
+5.30% (151) |
| NBATV | 56 | +9.80% (51) |
-3.45% (58) |
-1.82% (55) |
-5.08% (59) |
| GOLF | 109 | +7.92% (101) |
+9.00% (100) |
+0.93% (108) |
+14.74% (95) |
| MLBN | 79 | -3.66% (82) |
+11.27% (71) |
+16.18% (68) |
+49.06% (53) |
Source: Live+7 data from Dec. 28, 2015-Dec. 11, 2016 blended with Live+Same Day data from Dec. 12-25, 2016, Nielsen Media Research
The year period of 2016 is from Dec. 28, 2015 to Dec. 25, 2016.
The year period of 2015 is from Dec. 29, 2014 to Dec. 27, 2015.
The year period of 2014 is from Dec. 30, 2013 to Dec. 28, 2014.
The year period of 2013 is from Dec. 31, 2012 to Dec. 29, 2013.
The year period of 2012 is from Dec. 26, 2011 to Dec. 30, 2012.
* In 2012, ESPNU was not rated by Nielsen, Fox Sports 1 (FS1) was known as Speed Channel and Fox Sports 2 (FS2) was known as Fuel.
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About Douglas Pucci
Douglas Pucci is a contributor to Programming Insider and blogger at Son of the Bronx.