IndyCar scored another ratings increase on NBC; the UEFA Champions League season increased double-digits on Spanish-language TV; the MLB Draft slipped from last year’s high.
IndyCar Detroit viewership hits three-year high
Last Sunday’s second race of the IndyCar Detroit doubleheader earned a 0.7 rating and 1.09 million viewers on NBC, up a tick in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year (0.6, 936K) and up a tick and 19% respectively from 2017 (0.6, 918K). Prior to this year, coverage aired on ABC.
The telecast, which peaked with 1.36 million from 5:30-5:45 PM ET, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched at the event since 2016 (0.9, 1.40M). Including streaming viewership, it had 1.10 million viewers.
The previous day’s race, which was delayed due to rain and concluded on CNBC, had a 0.55 (flat) and 761,000 viewers (+2%). The doubleheader averaged 924,000 viewers, up 9% from last year (846K) and the highest since 2016 (1.21M).
The NBC broadcast network has now averaged 2.53 million viewers for its four IndyCar races this season (including streaming), up 18% from ABC’s average for the same four races last season (2.14M, excluding streaming).
UEFA season up 32% on Spanish-language TV
The complete UEFA Champions League season averaged 231,000 viewers across the Univision family of networks, up 32% from last year’s Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes and Fox Deportes. The average includes 631,000 for matches airing on Univision itself, 81% higher than the average on TNT (348K).
As previously noted, last weekend’s UEFA Champions League final posted a 34% increase on Univision, and a 25% decline on TNT.
MLB Draft slips from last year’s high
Day one of the Major League Baseball Draft had 304,000 viewers on MLB Network Monday, down 5% from last year, when viewership was the highest since at least 2012 (320K), but up 15% from 2017 (265K). As one would expect, the MLB Draft attracted a fraction of the audience of this year’s NFL Draft, which averaged 6.1 million viewers over three days, and last year’s NBA Draft (3.07M). It also trailed last year’s NHL Draft (368K).
In other MLB action, ESPN drew 531,000 for Blue Jays-Yankees on Thursday night (-2%).
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 6.4, Univision]
