After hitting a twelve-year high Thursday, Fox Sports did not fare as well for Friday’s U.S. Open coverage.
Second round coverage of the U.S. Open drew 2.0 million viewers on FOX and Fox Sports 1 Friday, up 50% from last year (1.3M), but down 5% from 2013 (2.1M). Prior to this year, the event aired on NBC and ESPN.
Keep in mind this year’s U.S. Open is taking place on the West Coast, allowing for extensive primetime coverage. Compared to previous West Coast editions of the tournament, Friday’s viewership declined 31% from 2.9 million in 2012 and 6% from 2.1 million in 2010.
The FOX broadcast network drew 2.9 million viewers for its primetime coverage, down 3% from ESPN’s primetime window in 2012 (3.0M). There was no live primetime coverage last year or in 2013. Fox Sports 1 drew 1.6 million earlier in the day, up a third from ESPN last year (1.2M) and flat compared to ESPN’s daytime window in 2012.
Through the first two days, the U.S. Open has averaged 2.0 million viewers on FOX — up 55% from last year (1.3M), but only even with 2013, when there was no primetime coverage (2.0M). Compared to previous West Coast editions, viewership has declined 16% from 2012 (2.4M) and is virtually even with 2010 (2.0M).
(Fri. numbers from Fox Sports)
