ESPN hit a season-low for Sunday Night Baseball. In other news, TBS scored big gains for its MLB coverage last weekend, and Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix eked out an increase.
Season-Low For Sunday Night Baseball
- Nationals/Mets had a 0.6 final rating and 947,000 viewers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball last weekend, down 46% in ratings and 47% in viewership from Pirates/Cardinals last year (1.1, 1.8M) and down 25% and 19%, respectively, from Indians/Royals in 2014 (0.8, 1.2M). The game, which aired opposite Notre Dame/Texas college football, ranks as the least-watched edition of SNB this season. In other action, ESPN pulled 802,000 viewers for Cubs/Brewers and 651,000 for Cardinals/Pirates on Labor Day. On Wednesday, Cardinals/Pirates had 589,000 (-33%) and Rangers/Mariners 408,000 (-48%).
Giants/Cubs Up Big on TBS
- TBS earned a 0.4 final rating and 602,000 viewers for Giants/Cubs Sunday afternoon, up 100% in ratings and 63% in viewership from Rays/Yankees last year (0.2, 369K). Over on Fox Sports 1, Astros/Rangers scored a 0.1 and 215,000 Saturday afternoon — down a tick and 26%, respectively, from Pirates/Cardinals last year (0.2, 290K). Tigers/Royals had a 0.2 and 364,000 later in the night; there was no comparable window last year.
F1 Italian GP Up Slightly
- Formula 1 racing from Italy drew 467,000 viewers on NBCSN last Sunday, up 1% in viewership from last year (461K) and up 14% from 2014 (410K). It just the fifth race of the season to post a year-over-year increase. The race had a 0.3 rating, even with the past two years.
