The Heisman Trophy Presentation scored its lowest overnight rating in years. In other news, the MLS Cup tied a 15-year high in its debut on primetime broadcast television, and CBS earned its best overnight of the season for an NFL singleheader window.
Heisman Overnights Lowest in At Least Eight Years
- The Heisman Trophy Presentation earned a 1.7 overnight rating on ESPN Saturday night, down 15% from the past two years (2.0 each year) and the lowest for the event since at least 2008. Since hitting a 3.1 for Johnny Manziel‘s win in 2012, Heisman overnights have fallen or flatted in each subsequent year. The lower numbers did not hurt the debut of ESPN’s 30 For 30 documentary Catholics vs. Convicts, which had a 1.4 overnight immediately afterward — up 27% from Four Falls of Buffalo last year (1.1) and up a tick from The U Part II in 2014 (1.3).
MLS Cup Ties 15-Year High in Primetime Broadcast Debut
- The FOX broadcast network scored a 1.0 overnight rating for the Sounders/Toronto F.C. MLS Cup Saturday night, up 150% from Crew/Timbers last year (0.4) and up 67% from Revolution/Galaxy in 2014 (0.6), both of which aired in the afternoon on cable network ESPN. The 1.0 is tied as the highest for the MLS Cup on a single network since Earthquakes/Galaxy in 2001 (1.2) and easily tops the last edition to air on broadcast, Crew/Red Bulls in 2008 (0.7).
NFL Singleheader Hits CBS High
- The Week 14 NFL singleheader window had an 11.3 overnight rating on CBS Sunday afternoon, even with last year and up a tick from 2014 (11.2). The 11.3 is the highest for the singleheader on CBS this season, edging the previous mark of 11.2 in Week 6, and ranks fourth regardless of network.
