The Manchester Derby generated the largest Premier League audience ever on U.S. cable television.
Sunday’s Manchester United/Manchester City English Premier League match drew 1.1 million viewers on NBCSN, up 123% from Swansea City/Chelsea in the same timeslot last year (494K), and the most-watched EPL telecast ever on U.S. cable. The previous record was 1.0 million for the same match-up on ESPN in 2012.
NBCSN has now aired nine of the ten most-watched Premier League telecasts ever on cable, including five this season alone. The season’s previous Manchester Derby in November ranks eighth (826K).
The match earned the fourth-largest EPL audience on broadcast or cable this season, trailing three matches on the NBC broadcast network — Arsenal/Manchester United in November (1.4M), Chelsea/Manchester City in January (1.4M) and Manchester United/Chelsea in October (1.3M).
So far this season, the NBC family of networks has averaged 486,000 viewers for Premier League coverage — up 10% from last year.
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
