A marquee matchup lifted NHL ratings on NBCSN this week. Also, ratings for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, the NHRA and Formula 1, the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, and USMNT soccer.
Rangers-Blackhawks Boosts NHL Ratings on NBCSN
Rangers-Blackhawks had a 0.32 rating and 541,000 viewers on this week’s NHL Wednesday Night Rivalry on NBCSN, up 19% in ratings and 17% in viewership from Penguins-Capitals last year (0.27, 463K) and largest NHL audience since Opening Night. Viewership has increased for six of the last eight NHL windows that can be compared to last year.
In other action, Capitals-Predators drew 216,000 on Tuesday night (+12%).
NASCAR Xfinity, F1 and NHRA All Up Last Weekend
NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Phoenix delivered a 1.0 rating and 1.5 million viewers on NBC last Saturday, up 67% in ratings and 45% in viewership from last year, when coverage aired on NBCSN (0.6, 1.1M). It was the most-watched Xfinity race since Road America in August (2.1M).
In other motorsports action, last Sunday’s Formula 1 race from Brazil had a 0.33 and 570,000 on NBCSN — up 6% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (0.31, 505K) and the most-watched edition of the race since 2014 (630K). Of the 18 F1 races that can be compared to last year, 15 have increased.
Finally, last Sunday’s NHRA season finale from Pomona (Ca.) had 336,000 on FS1 (+38%).
Nets Hit Three-Year High on YES, Again
Wednesday’s Celtics-Nets NBA game delivered a 1.30 local rating and 133,000 viewers on YES Network in New York, the highest rated and most-watched Nets game on YES since 2014 (Cavaliers-Nets: 1.59, 179K). The 1.30 rating surpassed the previous high of 1.26 set weeks earlier by a Cavaliers-Nets game.
USMNT Returns From World Cup Elimination With Low
Tuesday’s Portugal-United States men’s soccer friendly, the first USMNT match since the team was eliminated from next year’s World Cup, had 169,000 viewers on FS1 — the least-watched USMNT match on English-language TV since a match against Guatemala on beIN in March 2016 (162K). That comes with the caveat that the match aired on a weekday afternoon.
[Numbers via Programming Insider 11.16, ShowBuzz Daily 11.14, 11.15]
