Major League Soccer viewership has increased double-digits on ESPN2. In other news, ESPN followed up a season-low for Sunday Night Baseball with a near season-high Monday night, and the NHRA scored its second-largest audience of the season.
ESPN’s MLS Viewership Up
- Major League Soccer telecasts have averaged a 0.1 rating and 237,000 viewers across ESPN and ESPN2 through Saturday (19 telecasts), flat in ratings and up 11% in viewership from the comparable period in 2013 (0.1, 214K) and down a tick and 28%, respectively, from 2012 (0.2, 330K). The ESPN family of networks aired just two matches at this point last year, averaging a 0.2 and 250,000. ESPN Deportes has averaged 33,000 for its 13 telecasts, up 3% from 2013 (32K). (ESPN)
MLB on ESPN Hits Low Sunday, Near-High Monday
- The Giants/Nationals Sunday Night Baseball game drew 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, down 50% from Red Sox/Yankees last year (2.6M), down 36% from Yankees/Orioles in 2013 (2.1M), and a season-low for a non-delayed Sunday night game. The following night, Cardinals/Cubs drew 1.0 million on Monday Night Baseball — the third-largest weeknight audience of the season behind only Indians/Astros on Opening Day (1.1M) and Cardinals/Mets in May (1.04M to 1.02M). (via ShowBuzz Daily [1], [2])
NHRA Scores Second-Largest Audience of Season
- The elimination round of the NHRA Summit Racing Nationals from Ohio drew 678,000 viewers on ESPN Sunday afternoon, up 22% from last year (556K) and up 32% from 2013 (514K), both of which aired on ESPN2 in primetime. The telecast ranks as the second-most watched of the season, trailing only coverage from Florida on ESPN2 in March (878K). (via ShowBuzz Daily)
