A move to ABC resulted in big gains for the FCS National Championship. Also: Lakers-Mavericks posted a double-digit increase; Michigan State-Purdue scored one of top audiences of the season; the Premier League hit a season-high.
Ratings surge for FCS National Championship in move to ABC
Saturday’s North Dakota State-James Madison FCS National Championship averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.69 million viewers on ABC, marking the highest rating and viewership for the game since at least 2012. Prior to this year, the game aired on ESPN2.
The Bison’s win increased 200% in ratings and 168% in viewership from last year (NDSU-Eastern Washington: 0.6, 1.00M) and 80% and 77% respectively from 2018 (NDSU-JMU: 1.0, 1.52M). It outdrew 22 of the 38 FBS bowl games on Nielsen-rated television, including ABC’s primetime Las Vegas Bowl on December 21 (1.6, 2.64M).
Lakers-Mavs up double-digits on ESPN
Lakers-Mavericks averaged a 1.1 rating and 1.79 million viewers on ESPN’s NBA Friday last week, up 22% in ratings and 29% in viewership from last year (Thunder-Blazers: 0.9, 1.39M) and up 38% in the latter from 2018 (Wizards-Grizzlies: 1.30M, rating n/a).
Excluding Christmas, the Lakers’ win delivered ESPN’s fifth-largest audience of the season. The team has played in ESPN’s six most-watched games, including a previous meeting against Dallas in November (1.6, 2.57M).
Earlier in the night, Pelicans-Knicks averaged a 0.7 (-22%) and 948,000 (-29%).
MSU-Purdue among top games of season
Sunday’s Michigan State-Purdue college basketball game averaged a 1.5 rating and 2.16 million viewers on CBS, down a tick in ratings and 11% in viewership from Michigan State-Penn State last year, which aired immediately following an NFL playoff game (1.6, 2.44M). This year’s game had no such lead-in, though it also faced no NFL competition.
Despite the drop, the Boilermakers’ blowout win delivered the fifth-largest audience of the season.
In other action, Baylor-Kansas drew a 1.0 and 1.54 million on Saturday. In the same timeslot, Alabama-Kentucky drew a 0.7 (-22%) and 1.12 million (-20%) on ESPN and Ohio State-Indiana a 0.75 and 1.10 million on FOX.
Liverpool-Tottenham hits EPL season-high
NBC averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.19 million viewers for last Saturday’s Liverpool-Tottenham English Premier League match, marking the largest EPL audience of the season. The previous high was 1.04 million for Tottenham-Manchester City in August. It was the fourth match this season to top the one million mark.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 1.14]
