With 2009 now past the halfway point, here is a look at the viewership for sports-related programming during the first six months of year.
The 50 most viewed cable sports programs of ’09 include 36 NBA telecasts, 6 NASCAR telecasts and 4 college football telecasts. Keep in mind that the list includes studio programming, such as NASCAR postrace shows and Inside the NBA.
Additionally, keep in mind that this list is limited to programs that took place during Q1 (12/29/08-3/29/09) and Q2 (3/30/09-6/28/09). The 2009 MLB Home Run Derby, which took place on July 13, drew 8.3 million viewers.
50 most-viewed sports programs on cable.
From 12/29/08 – 6/28/09
Source: ESPN.com
| # |
Date
|
Net | Sport | Game |
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Tue., 5/26/09
|
TNT | NBA | Cavaliers/Magic Game 4 | 10.1 mil |
|
2
|
Thu., 5/28/09
|
TNT | NBA | Cavaliers/Magic Game 5 | 10.0 mil |
|
3
|
Mon., 5/25/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Nuggets Game 4 | 9.7 mil |
|
4
|
Wed., 5/27/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Nuggets Game 5 | 9.2 mil |
|
5
|
Sun., 5/24/09
|
TNT | NBA | Cavaliers/Magic Game 3 | 9.0 mil |
|
6
|
Fri., 5/29/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Nuggets Game 6 | 8.5 mil |
|
7t
|
Sun., 5/17/09
|
TNT | NBA | Magic/Celtics Game 7 | 8.4 mil |
|
7t
|
Sat., 5/30/09
|
TNT | NBA | Cavaliers/Magic Game 6 | 8.4 mil |
|
9
|
Tue., 5/19/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Nuggets Game 1 | 8.1 mil |
|
10
|
Thu., 5/21/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Nuggets Game 2 | 7.9 mil |
|
11
|
Feb. 2/15/09
|
TNT | NBA | NBA All-Star Game | 7.6 mil |
|
12
|
Thu., 5/14/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Rockets Game 6 | 7.4 mil |
|
13
|
Wed., 5/20/09
|
TNT | NBA | Cavaliers/Magic Game 1 | 7.3 mil |
|
14
|
Sat., 5/2/09
|
TNT | NBA | Bulls/Celtics Game 7 | 7.0 mil |
|
15
|
Fri., 5/22/09
|
TNT | NBA | Magic/Cavaliers Game 2 | 6.9 mil |
|
16
|
Sat., 2/14/09
|
TNT | NBA | NBA All-Star Saturday Night | 6.6 mil |
|
17
|
Wed., 5/6/09
|
TNT | NBA | Lakers/Rockets Game 2 | 6.3 mil |
|
18
|
Tue., 12/30/08
|
ESPN | NCAAF | Holiday Bowl, Oklahoma State/Oregon | 6.2 mil |
|
19
|
Mon., 12/29/08
|
ESPN | NCAAF | Alamo Bowl, Missouri/Northwestern | 6.1 mil |
|
20
|
Fri., 5/8/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Rockets Game 3 | 6.0 mil |
|
21
|
Sun., 6/21/09
|
TNT | NASCAR | Toyota/SaveMart 350 | 5.8 mil |
|
22t
|
Wed., 12/31/08
|
ESPN | NCAAF | Chik-Fil-A Bowl, LSU/Georgia Tech | 5.6 mil |
|
22t
|
Sun., 6/28/09
|
TNT | NASCAR | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | 5.6 mil |
|
24
|
Sun., 6/7/09
|
TNT | NASCAR | Pocono 500 | 5.5 mil |
|
25t
|
Mon., 5/4/09
|
TNT | NBA | Lakers/Rockets Game 1 | 5.4 mil |
|
25t
|
Thu., 4/30/09
|
TNT | NBA | Bulls/Celtics Game 6 | 5.4 mil |
|
27
|
Sun., 6/7/09
|
TNT | NASCAR | NASCAR postrace show | 5.3 mil |
|
28t
|
Tue., 5/12/09
|
TNT | NBA | Magic/Celtics Game 5 | 5.2 mil |
|
28t
|
Tue., 5/12/09
|
TNT | NBA | Lakers/Rockets Game 5 | 5.2 mil |
|
30t
|
Sun., 6/14/09
|
TNT | NASCAR | LifeLock 400 | 5.1 mil |
|
30t
|
Sun., 5/10/09
|
TNT | NBA | Magic/Celtics Game 4 | 5.1 mil |
|
30t
|
Sat., 4/25/09
|
ESPN | NFL | NFL draft | 5.1 mil |
|
33t
|
Mon., 5/11/09
|
TNT | NBA | Nuggets/Mavericks Game 4 | 4.8 mil |
|
33t
|
Thu., 5/14/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Magic/Celtics Game 6 | 4.8 mil |
|
35t
|
Sun., 4/26/09
|
ESPN | MLB | Red Sox/Yankees | 4.6 mil |
|
35t
|
Sun., 2/15/09 | TNT | NBA | NBA All-Star Game Tip-off | 4.6 mil |
|
35t
|
Wed., 5/13/09
|
TNT | NBA | Nuggets/Mavericks Game 5 | 4.6 mil |
|
38
|
Tue., 5/5/09
|
TNT | NBA | Hawks/Cavaliers Game 1 | 4.5 mil |
|
39
|
Mon., 5/4/09
|
TNT | NBA | Magic/Celtics Game 1 | 4.4 mil |
|
40t
|
Wed., 5/6/09
|
TNT | NBA | Magic/Celtics Game 2 | 4.3 mil |
|
40t
|
Thu., 2/5/09
|
TNT | NBA | Lakers/Celtics | 4.3 mil |
|
40t
|
Thu., 5/28/09
|
TNT | NBA | Inside The NBA Playoffs | 4.3 mil |
|
43t
|
Sat., 5/16/09
|
Speed | NASCAR | Sprint Cup All-Star Race | 4.2 mil |
|
43t
|
Tue., 5/26/09
|
TNT | NBA | Inside The NBA Playoffs | 4.2 mil |
|
45
|
Thu., 1/1/09
|
ESPN | NCAAF | Outback Bowl, South Carolina/Iowa | 4.1 mil |
|
46
|
Tue., 5/5/09
|
TNT | NBA | Nuggets/Mavericks Game 2 | 4.0 mil |
|
47t
|
Sun., 6/28/09
|
ESPN | Soccer | Confederations Cup final, Brazil/USA | 3.9 mil |
|
47t
|
Mon., 5/11/09
|
TNT | NBA | Hawks/Cavaliers Game 4 | 3.9 mil |
|
47t
|
Tue., 4/28/09
|
TNT | NBA | Bulls/Celtics Game 5 | 3.9 mil |
|
47t
|
Sat., 3/14/09
|
ESPN | NCAAB | Big East Tournament: Louisville/Syracuse | 3.9 mil |
Notable programs not in the Top 50.
Source: ESPN.com
|
Date
|
Net | Sport | Game |
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mon., 1/19/09
|
TNT | NBA | Cavaliers/Lakers | 3.7 mil |
|
Fri., 4/10/09
|
ESPN | Golf | The Masters | 3.5 mil |
|
Thu., 6/4/09
|
Versus | NHL | Red Wings/Penguins Game 4 | 3.4 mil |
|
Thu., 4/23/09
|
TNT | NBA | Celtics/Bulls Game 3 | 3.4 mil |
|
Thu., 4/9/09
|
ESPN | Golf | The Masters | 3.4 mil |
|
Sun., 4/5/09
|
ESPN2 | MLB | Phillies/Braves (Opening Night) | 3.3 mil |
|
Sat., 4/25/09
|
ESPN | NBA | Lakers/Jazz Game 4 | 3.3 mil |
|
Sun., 6/28/09
|
ESPN | MLB | Mets/Yankees | 3.3 mil |
|
Wed., 2/11/09
|
ESPN | NCAAB | Duke/North Carolina | 3.3 mil |
|
Sat., 2/14/09
|
TNT | NBA | “Greatest Slam Dunk” | 3.3 mil |
|
Sat., 2/14/09
|
ESPN2 | NASCAR | Nationwide Series, Camping World 300 at Daytona | 3.2 mil |
|
Wed., 6/24/09
|
ESPN | CWS | LSU/Texas Game 3 | 3.2 mil |
|
Tue., 2/10/09
|
USA | Other | Westminster Dog Show | 3.1 mil |
|
Wed., 12/31/08
|
ESPN | Other | “New Year: No Limits” | 3.1 mil |
|
Tue., 6/2/09
|
Versus | NHL | Red Wings/Penguins Game 3 | 3.0 mil |
|
Tue., 1/6/09
|
ESPN | NCAAF | GMAC Bowl, Ball State/Tulsa | 2.8 mil |
|
Sun., 3/22/09
|
ESPN | WBC | World Baseball Classic, Japan/USA | 2.8 mil |
|
Sat., 1/3/09
|
ESPN2 | NCAAF | International Bowl, Buffalo/Connecticut | 2.7 mil |
|
Tue., 4/7/09
|
ESPN | NCAAB | Women’s National Championship Game, Connecticut/Louisville | 2.7 mil |
|
Sun., 4/5/09
|
ESPN | NCAAB | Women’s Final Four, Connecticut/Stanford | 2.7 mil |
|
Sun., 3/8/09
|
ESPN | WBC | World Baseball Classic, Venezuela/USA | 2.6 mil |
|
Thu., 6/25/09
|
ESPN | NBA | NBA Draft | 2.6 mil |
|
Thu., 3/12/09
|
ESPN | NCAAB | Big East Tournament, Connecticut/Syracuse | 2.6 mil |
|
Sun., 3/15/09
|
ESPN | Other | ESPNU Bracketology | 1.9 mil |
|
Sat., 3/7/09
|
ESPN | WBC | World Baseball Classic, USA/Canada | 1.8 mil |
