Viewership slipped for the annual NFL Honors. Also: a primetime broadcast TV low for the NHL, and recent college basketball numbers.
NFL Honors dips on CBS
Last Saturday’s NFL Honors delivered a 2.1 rating and 3.42 million viewers on CBS, flat in ratings and down 1% in viewership from last year on NBC (2.1, 3.46M), but up 11% and 8% respectively from 2017 on FOX (1.9, 3.17M). It ranks as the third-least watched edition of the awards show (eight telecasts), ahead of only 2017 and 2014 (3.13M).
The NFL Honors ranks second among sports awards shows over the past year, trailing only last year’s ESPY Awards on ABC (2.5, 3.9M).
NHL hits primetime broadcast TV low
Regional NHL action featuring either Blackhawks-Wild or Lightning-Rangers had a 0.7 rating and 1.10 million viewers on NBC last Saturday night, marking the least-watched NHL game ever on primetime broadcast television. The previous low was 1.11 million for a Maple Leafs-Capitals Stadium Series game last year.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Bruins-Capitals scored a 0.7 and 1.03 million — up 40% in ratings and 45% in viewership from Kings-Capitals two years ago (0.5, 709K). NBC aired Super Bowl programming last year.
Hoosier upset tops recent CBB
Last Saturday’s Indiana-Michigan State college basketball game scored a 1.1 rating and 1.77 million viewers on ESPN, up 22% in ratings and 27% in viewership from last year (Oklahoma-Texas: 0.9, 1.39M) and flat and up 2% respectively from 2017 (North Carolina-Notre Dame: 1.1, 1.74M).
The Hoosiers’ win was the most-watched college basketball game of the past week.
Earlier in the day, ESPN drew a 1.1 (+174%) and 1.68 million (+180%) for Kentucky-Florida, a 1.0 (+189%) and 1.61 million (+204%) for North Carolina-Louisville, and a 0.9 (+120%) and 1.35 million (+129%) for St. John’s-Duke. Over on CBS, Texas Tech-Kansas was the weekend’s top game on broadcast with a 0.7 and 1.12 million.
Shifting to the workweek, Boston College-Duke had a 0.7 (-13%) and 1.02 million (-22%) and Kansas-Kansas State a 0.5 (-2%) and 843,000 (+1%) on ESPN Tuesday. Both games outdrew the competing NBA games on TNT. On Monday, Louisville-Virginia Tech drew a 0.49 (-18%) and 749,000 (-17%) and West Virginia-Texas Tech a 0.38 (-62%) and 557,000 (-66%).
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 2.5; Programming Insider 2.5, 2.6]
