Numbers: BIG3 Ratings, LPGA, Yankees, Racing

The BIG3 generated its largest audience yet, albeit one quite low by broadcast TV standards. In other action, viewership sank for an LPGA major, the Yankees hit a high on YES Network, and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series scored a rare increase.

BIG3 Hits High, But Nears Broadcast TV Low

Coverage of BIG3 basketball delivered a 0.6 rating and 921,000 viewers on the FOX broadcast network last Friday, marking the highest rated and most-watched telecast in the league’s brief history. Viewership soared 432% over the previous week’s BIG3 telecast, which aired on FS1.

Though strong by BIG3 standards, the numbers were among the lowest ever for sports on primetime broadcast television. FOX had a 0.5 rating for an International Champions Cup soccer match in 2013 (Real Madrid-Everton) and 859,000 viewers for a Copa America match in 2016 (Chile-Bolivia). The all-time lows for a “Big Four” sporting event in primetime are 0.7 and 1.0 million for a 2016 Rays-Yankees MLB game on FOX.

For the night, the BIG3 was the lowest rated program on the “Big Four” broadcast networks in adults 18-49 — trailing the likes of “Quantico” on ABC and “Blue Bloods” on CBS.

Women’s PGA Championship Falls to Low

Last Sunday’s final round of the Women’s PGA Championship, the third LPGA major of the season, had a 0.44 rating and 630,000 viewers on NBC — down 26% in ratings and 25% in viewership from last year (0.6, 840K) and the tournament’s smallest final round audience since 2014 on Golf Channel (405K).

Coverage faced direct competition from both the World Cup and a PGA Tour event in which Tiger Woods finished in the top five.

Third round action had a 0.40 (-23%) and 557,000 (-24%).

YES Scores Top Non-Sox Yankees Rating Since ’14

Monday’s Braves-Yankees Major League Baseball game earned a 5.84 rating and 557,000 viewers on YES Network in New York, the network’s highest rated Yankees game — excluding those against the Red Sox — since 2014. The game peaked with a 7.06 and 723,000 from 10-10:15 PM ET.

NASCAR Xfinity Up at Chicagoland

NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Chicagoland drew a 0.7 rating and 1.1 million viewers on NBCSN last Saturday, up 40% in ratings and 32% in viewership from last year (0.5, 807K) but down 36% in both measures from 2016 on the NBC broadcast network (1.1, 1.7M). Prior to this year, the race took place in the fall opposite college football games.

It was the second-straight Xfinity Series to increase after the first 11 declined.

In other racing action, the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix had a 0.29 and 424,000 on ESPN2 Sunday morning — up 26% in ratings and 35% in viewership from last year on CNBC (0.23, 330K).

[Numbers from Programming Insider 7.3, ShowBuzz Daily 7.3, YES Network]