Recent sports TV ratings, including Thursday night MLB on FOX, WNBA season averages, the latest USMNT-Mexico match, and Formula 1.
FOX scores big increase, but hits season-low, for Thursday MLB
Regional Major League Baseball action featuring Braves-Phillies averaged a 1.2 rating and 1.75 million viewers on FOX Thursday night, up 50% in ratings and 58% in viewership from the network’s first September window last season, which aired on a Saturday afternoon (mostly Dodgers-Cardinals: 0.8, 1.11M).
Even with the increase, the telecast was the lowest rated and least-watched on FOX this season (10 total). Coverage aired opposite Thursday Night Football on NFL Network (4.1, 6.64M) and a Democratic primary debate on ABC and Univision (14.04M).
The previous night, ESPN averaged a 0.49 (-21%) and 715,000 (-20%) for Braves-Phillies and a 0.39 and 563,000 for Cubs-Padres.
Modest bump for WNBA season; playoff openers down
The WNBA regular season averaged 246,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, up 7% from last year on ESPN2 alone (231K). Viewership had been up 31% entering the All-Star break. This season included five games on ESPN and ABC, the most on those networks since 2008.
Wednesday’s Mercury-Sky single-elimination playoff game averaged 247,000 viewers on ESPN2, down 16% from last year (Wings-Mercury: 293K), but up 2% from 2017 (Wings-Mystics: 244K). The Lynx-Storm nightcap had 221,000 — down 36% from last year (Lynx-Sparks: 343K) and down 9% from 2017 (Storm-Mercury: 243K).
USMNT-Mexico up double-digits on Univision
Last Friday’s United States-Mexico men’s soccer friendly averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.68 million viewers on Univision and TUDN, marking the fourth-largest men’s soccer audience on any network this year. Ratings increased 27% and viewership 17% from the rivals’ friendly last September (1.1, 2.30M).
English-language coverage on FS1 had a 0.24 and 386,000, both down 53% from last year on ESPN (0.51, 827K).
On Tuesday night, Univision/TUDN averaged a 1.3 and 2.45 million for Mexico-Argentina and a 0.7 and 1.24 million for U.S.-Uruguay. The latter match had just 245,000 on FS1.
Italian GP latest F1 race to increase
Last Sunday’s Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix averaged a 0.41 rating and 635,000 viewers on ESPN2, up 5% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (0.39, 610K) and up 28% and 25% respectively from 2017 on NBCSN (0.32, 508K). Eleven of 14 races have increased this season.
In other action, last Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Indianapolis averaged a 0.6 and 995,000 on NBC — down 45% in ratings and 47% in viewership from 2017, the last time it was run as scheduled (1.1, 1.69M). Last year’s Monday race drew 474,000 on NBCSN.
[Nielsen estimates via Programming Insider 9.9 9.12, 9.13 a, b; ShowBuzz Daily 9.10]
