TV Ratings: Blues Set Ratings Record on FS Midwest (Also: Heat/Bulls, MLS on ESPN)

Posted by | 03/15/2012 at 12:18 pm

The St. Louis Blues set a ratings record on Fox Sports Midwest earlier this week. Meanwhile, ESPN earned record numbers in Chicago for Wednesday’s Heat/Bulls game, and the first MLS match of the season on ESPN2 suffered a double-digit decline in ratings and viewership.

  • Blues Earn Highest Rating Ever on FS Midwest: Tuesday’s Blues/Blackhawks NHL regular season game drew a 6.3 rating on Fox Sports Midwest in the St. Louis market, the highest rating ever for a regular season Blues game on the network. The previous record was 5.6 for Sharks/Blues in November 2010. Three of the five highest rated Blues telecasts have taken place this calendar year alone. (blues.nhl.com)
  • Heat/Bulls Sets ESPN Record in Chicago: Wednesday’s Heat/Bulls NBA regular season game drew a 6.2 rating on ESPN in Chicago, the market’s highest rating ever for a regular season game on the network. Nationally, the game drew a 2.2 overnight rating, the third-best of the season for the NBA on ESPN. (ESPN)
  • ESPN’s MLS Opener Down 44%: Monday’s Union/Timbers MLS regular season match on ESPN2 drew a 0.23 U.S. rating and 337,000 viewers, down 41% in ratings and 44% in viewership from the first match on the ESPN family of networks last year (LA/SEA: 0.39, 641K, ESPN), but up 35% and 18%, respectively, from the first match in 2010 (PHI/SEA: 0.17, 285K, ESPN2). The previous day, NBC Sports Network drew 82,000 viewers for Red Bulls/F.C. Dallas, the first MLS match ever on the network. (ESPN, The Sporting News)
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  • RfrancisR

    The Union/Timbers match was on ESPN2 not ESPN. That accounts for part of the drop off as the LA/Sea match was on ESPN last year. 

    • Paulsen

       Thanks for spotting that omission.

      • Andy

        Last years first ESPN2 game drew the following numbers

        Sat Apr 9 7:00 ESPN2 New York 0, Philadelphia 3 0.2 227

        This year was a large improvement. Any chance the article above could be edited to compare apples to apples?

        MLS does significantly better on ESPN than on espn2, so much so that you can’t compare the two IMO.

        • ImUrDaddy

          Also, a game late on Monday night, that started later than 10:00pm on EST in Philly, is also not a fari comparison with a weekend game, in which fans are more likely to stay up for it.  My brother and sister are rabid Union fans (& season ticket holders), but could not stay up to watch it as they go to work at 5:30 am and 6:30am respectively.  (The EPSN2 versus ESPN analysis is also quite valid.)  Comparing the 2011 season opener (with two successful west coast franchises watching on Pacific time) to the 2012 season late Monday opener with only 1 west coast team, is comparing apples to oranges.

  • Other

    With all due respect, the MLS game is up nearly 100k over average numbers on ESPN2.  Your comparing apples and oranges and putting a negative spin on the topic.  

  • Stingbee30

    ESPN rating is always higher for MLS vs. on ESPN2.  We should distinguish the two platforms.  I’m happy to note that this year we have 10 MLS games scheduled on ESPN.  The ESPN games should register over the season average.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 10 MLS Games on ESPN averaging about 375K-400K. 

  • Stingbee30

    @15121b8f6b8dd96ec3601b6dbaab248e:disqus  Paulson: With all due respect, I think it is time this site to give Soccer it’s own tab versus putting soccer content into Others.  Soccer has come long way, and I don’t think it is fair anymore to showcase this sport on the fringes.  Some would argue that Soccer has actually eclipsed NHL as the 4th Major Sport in this country.  MLS ratings tend to be on par with NHL ratings (except, during NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup Final, and locally in some markets NHL ratings are much higher than MLS)…The World Cup, The Euros, UEFA Champions League Final, The EPL point a very favorable trend and picture for the future of this sport.  The popularity of soccer should not just focus with MLS ratings (MLS ratings have been flat, but some local markets are showing signs of growth).  Soccer’s portfolio is much bigger with it’s global reach: it is not just MLS.

    Soccer reaches out to all corners of America, while NHL tends to be be northeastern and Canadian centric sport.  This is where Soccer is much popular as a sport over Hockey (the recent poll showed soccer as the no.2 sport behind NFL or American Football among the young demographic). 

    This is nothing against Hockey.  Hockey deserves it’s own place in the American sports world.  I’m just making a point, and using Hockey as a comparison.  In summary, if Hockey has it’s own tab, than it is time we give Soccer it’s own tab.

    • Paulsen

       I’ll think about it. Soccer ratings are not as easily accessible as those for other sports, so that complicates matters.

      • Stingbee30

         Thank you Paulsen…I realize that, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent factor in raising the bar for Soccer.  Soccer is not a niche sport anymore contrary to some mainstream media analysis.