After a week off, the Premier League returned with mixed numbers on NBCSN last weekend.
Last Saturday’s Crystal Palace/Manchester City English Premier League match drew 454,000 viewers on NBCSN, the largest EPL audience of the week on cable. The match aired opposite Arsenal/Stoke City on USA Network, which drew 202,000.
The matches combined for 656,000 viewers in the mid-morning window, up 55% from Arsenal/Aston Villa last year (423K) and up 50% from Liverpool/Southampton in 2013 (437K), both of which aired on NBCSN unopposed by other matches.
The morning’s early window also had a big increase, as Everton/Chelsea drew 449,000 on NBCSN — up 130% from Queens Park/Stoke City last year (195K) and up 86% from Norwich City/Aston Villa in 2013 (241K).
NBCSN did not have nearly as much success on Sunday. Leicester City/Aston Villa drew 401,000 viewers — down 51% from Manchester City/Chelsea last year (852K) and down 53% from Manchester City/Mancester United in 2013 (852K). It should be noted that both of those matches rank among the most-watched EPL telecasts ever on NBCSN.
Sunderland/Tottenham had 345,000 viewers earlier in the morning, the smallest audience for a Sunday EPL match this year (10 telecasts). Viewership was unavailable for the comparable matches last year and in 2013, which aired on CNBC.
Rounding out week five of the season, Monday’s West Ham/Newcastle match drew 211,000 viewers. There were no comparable matches last year or in 2013.
(Wknd. numbers from ShowBuzz Daily [1], [2], Sports TV Ratings)
