Last week’s Premier League action incurred almost across-the-board declines in the NBC networks.
NBC earned a 0.4 final rating and 604,000 viewers for Crystal Palace/West Ham Premier League action lats Saturday, down a third in ratings and 36% in viewership from Chelsea/Southampton last year (0.6, 948K). NBC did not air a live match in 2014.
The match was the second straight on NBC to have just a 0.4 rating, a particularly low number for broadcast television. Even so, it was the top EPL telecast of the week.
Earlier in the day, Everton/Manchester City had a 0.2 and 359,000 on NBCSN in the mid-morning window — down a tick in ratings and 9% in viewership from Manchester City/Newcastle last year (0.3, 396K) and down a tick and 8%, respectively, from Chelsea/Crystal Palace in ’14 (0.3, 390K). The concurrent Arsenal/Swansea match scored 130,000 on CNBC, down 31% from Sunderland/West Ham on USA last year (188K).
The day started on a higher note, with Leicester City/Chelsea earning a 0.2 and 255,000 — flat in ratings and up 17% in viewership from Crystal Palace/West Brom last year (0.2, 218K) and down a tick and 8%, respectively, from Chelsea/Crystal Palace in 2014 (0.3, 390K).
On Sunday, Southampton/Burnley had 282,000 viewers on NBCSN — down 67% from Arsenal/Manchester United last year (866K) and down 30% from Swansea/Stoke City in 2014 (401K). Ratings fell 60% (from 0.45 to 0.18). Middlesbrough/Watford started things off with a 0.1 and 236,000, both down 67% from Everton/Liverpool last year (0.3, 436K) and down a tick and 28%, respectively, from Liverpool/Queens Park in 2014 (0.2, 327K).
Rounding out the week eight slate, Liverpool/Manchester United had 371,000 on NBCSN Monday afternoon — up 25% from West Brom/Manhcester United in 2014 (297K). There was no comparable game last year. It was the top weekday match of the season thus far and the top match of the week on cable.
