Breeders Cup ratings hit a six-year low, Chelsea-Manchester United hit a cable season-high, and Xfinity Series ratings sank at Texas.
Breeders Cup Ratings Hit Low
Last Saturday’s Breeders Cup Classic drew a 1.3 rating and 2.0 million viewers on NBC, down 13% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.2M) and down 50% and 49% respectively from 2015, when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah won in his final race (2.6, 3.9M).
It was the lowest rated and least-watched Breeders Cup Classic since the event last aired on cable in 2011. That year, coverage on ESPN had a 1.0 and 1.6 million.
Chelsea-Man. U. Hits Cable High
NBCSN earned a 0.47 rating and 782,000 viewers for last Sunday’s Chelsea-Manchester United English Premier League match, the largest audience of the season on cable. Compared to last year, ratings increased 327% and viewership 374% from Swansea-Manchester United on CNBC (0.11, 165K).
Earlier in the morning, Manchester City-Arsenal had a 0.38 (+52%) and 642,000 (+49%).
On Saturday, West Ham-Liverpool drew a 0.47 (flat) and 676,000 (-2%) on the NBC broadcast network. Newcastle-Bournemouth had a 0.20 (-23%) and 305,000 (-24%) on NBCSN. Figures for other matches were not available.
NASCAR Xfinity Down at Texas
NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Texas drew a 0.5 rating and 849,000 viewers on NBCSN last Saturday, down 44% in ratings and 38% in viewership from last year (0.9, 1.4M) and down 67% and 62% respectively from 2015 (1.5, 2.2M), both of which aired on NBC.
Despite the low numbers, it was the most-watched Xfinity Series race on cable since Darlington on Labor Day weekend (1.1M).
[Numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 11.7]
