The Little League World Series topped its big league competition Wednesday night. In other news, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and the NHRA both posted increases last weekend.
LLWS on ESPN2 Tops MLB on ESPN
- Wednesday’s Lufkin (Tex.)-San Antonio Little League World Series game earned a larger audience on ESPN2 (451K) than the competing Red Sox-Rays Major League Baseball game on ESPN (430K), with the caveat that ESPN’s MLB coverage was blacked out in the home markets. The MLB game did come out ahead in adults 18-49 (0.12 to 0.10).
NASCAR Xfinity Gets Bump at Watkins Glen
- NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Watkins Glen (N.Y.) earned a 0.8 rating and 1.2 million viewers on NBCSN last Saturday, up a tick in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year, when coverage aired on CNBC opposite the Olympics (0.7, 1.0M), but down a tick and 12% respectively from 2015 (0.9, 1.4M). The past four Xfinity Series races have posted an increase in ratings and/or viewership.
NHRA Posts Increase on FOX
- NHRA eliminations from Seattle scored 883,000 viewers on FOX last Sunday, up 4% from last year opposite the Olympics (849K) and up 66% from 2015 on ESPN2 (531K). Ratings were flat at a 0.55. It was the second-most watched NHRA race all season that did not follow NASCAR coverage.
