Recent sports TV ratings, including the NWSL on the ESPN family of networks, the latest Major League Baseball numbers, and a three-year high for the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction.
NWSL up in return to ESPN2
Coverage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has averaged 112,000 viewers on ESPN2 and ESPNEWS through two telecasts, up 47% from last year’s full-season average on Lifetime and ESPNEWS (76K, 22 telecasts).
Last Sunday’s Chicago-North Carolina match averaged 149,000 on ESPN2, up 67% from coverage on Lifetime on the same weekend last year (89K), and the most-watched NWSL telecast since the 2016 final on FS1 (180K). Viewership peaked at 177,000 from 7:45-8 PM ET.
The match earned a slightly larger audience than Major League Soccer on FS1 around the same time (Orlando-New York: 148K). It trailed the two other MLS matches on national TV that day, Atlanta-D.C. on ESPN (328K) and Seattle-Portland on FS1 (250K).
The last time ESPN2 aired a package of NWSL matches in 2014, the viewership average was similar at 144,000.
Braves weak draw on Sunday Night Baseball again
Nationals-Braves averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.33 million viewers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball last weekend, down 38% in ratings and 37% in viewership from Cardinals-Cubs in 2017 (1.3, 2.12M). Last year’s scheduled Mets-Yankees game was rained out. The Braves have played in five of the eight least-watched Sunday night games this season.
Earlier in the day, TBS drew a 0.27 (-34%) and 416,000 (-29%) for Rockies-Yankees. The game aired opposite the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, while last year’s window faced no such competition.
On Saturday, FS1 had a 0.23 (-23%) and 343,000 (-28%) for Nationals-Braves and 270,000 viewers for Mets-Giants (-52%). Those comparisons are to 2017, as FS1 did not air any games on the comparable weekend last year.
Finally, ESPN earned 524,000 for Red Sox-Rays on Monday night (-14%).
Baseball Hall induction hits three-year high
The Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony averaged 382,000 viewers on MLB Network Sunday afternoon, up 12% from last year (340K), up 47% from 2017 (259K), and the largest audience for the event since 2016 (464K). Former Yankees P Mariano Rivera was among the inductees this year.
