The Williams sisters boosted ESPN to big numbers Tuesday night.
The Serena Williams/Venus Williams U.S. Open quarterfinal drew a 4.8 overnight rating on ESPN Tuesday night, the highest for a single tennis match in nearly two years — since the 2013 U.S. Open women’s final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka (4.9). That match aired on CBS after NFL football.
Tuesday’s overnight peaked at a 5.6 from 10-10:15 PM ET.
The complete telecast, which ran until after 1 AM ET, drew a 2.7 overnight — up 145% from comparable coverage last year (1.1) and the second-highest ever for tennis on the network. Only coverage of the 2012 Roger Federer/Andy Murray Wimbledon final drew a higher overnight (3.1).
West Palm Beach, FL, was the top market for the full telecast with a 4.8 rating. Host market New York ranked second (4.7), followed by Atlanta (4.5), Richmond (4.1) and Washington, D.C. (4.0).
(Tue. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
