ESPN’s studio lineup of morning shows finished its best year ever in 2023.
Per a pair of releases on Thursday, both First Take and Get Up hit record viewership this past year.
Get Up started ESPN’s weekday morning lineup at 8 a.m. ET by averaging 379,000 viewers in 2023, a 5% increase from its 2022 average. The Mike Greenberg-hosted show, which was much-maligned leading up to and upon its debut before undergoing an overhaul, debuted in April 2018.
The show also ended 2023 on a high note. November was Get Up‘s most-watched month ever, averaging 467,000 viewers. December ranked just behind with an average of 449,000 viewers.
First Take, which airs at 10 a.m. ET, continued to thrive in the two-plus years of the post-Max Kellerman era. The show averaged an all-time high 496,000 viewers in 2023, and has seen year-over-year viewership growth in a staggering 17 straight months. December 2023 averaged 611,000 viewers, the show’s second-most-watched month ever. The addition of Shannon Sharpe this fall, along with the continued featuring of Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, have propelled First Take forward to new heights this year.
This is your obligatory reminder that out-of-home viewing was not included in viewership estimates prior to September 2020. This isn’t insignificant for morning shows, given how often they play in waiting rooms and the like.
On ESPN’s social media and YouTube channels, First Take has also been a machine. The show’s content on YouTube was viewed over 250 million times, a 12% increase from last year. On ESPN’s social media platforms, First Take saw engagements for its content spike by a stunning 302%.
Regardless of how you feel about morning shows, and ESPN’s morning shows in particular, something is clearly working with the format. Don’t expect major changes going forward.
