Despite having no games on broadcast — or cable — since the tournament opener, the NWSL Challenge Cup ended with new record-highs. Also: numbers for the PGA Tour, UFC and other weekend events.
NWSL sets new ratings record in title game
Sunday’s Houston-Chicago NWSL Challenge Cup final averaged a 0.44 rating and 653,000 viewers on CBS, marking the highest rated and most-watched telecast in league history. The previous high was set by the tournament opener on CBS last month, which averaged a 0.37 and 572,000. Prior to this year, no NWSL match had ever exceeded 190,000 viewers.
Compared to last year’s NWSL final, which aired on ESPN on an NFL Sunday, viewership jumped 293% from 166,000.
Only one MLS match all season has averaged a larger audience than Sunday’s final, Nashville-Atlanta on the opening weekend of play in February (756K).
For the weekend, Houston-Chicago ranked second among soccer broadcasts behind the Manchester United-Leicester City English Premier League “Championship Sunday” match on NBC (0.50, 750K).
Mixed results for Twin Cities PGA Tour event
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour from Minneapolis averaged a 1.7 rating and 2.60 million viewers on CBS Sunday, up a tick in ratings and 14% in viewership from the tournament’s debut last year (1.6, 2.28M). Third round coverage on Saturday averaged a 1.1 and 1.53 million, flat and down 1% respectively (1.1, 1.54M).
Since the PGA Tour returned from hiatus last month, Saturday’s window was just the third of 14 on CBS to decline from last year.
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel averaged a 0.56 (+24%) and 846,000 (+31%) on Saturday and a 0.43 (+16%) and 607,000 (+13%) on Sunday.
ESPN’s latest UFC main event up from midweek card
The latest UFC main event on ESPN averaged a 0.6 rating and 908,000 viewers Saturday night, up 67% in ratings and 69% in viewership from the previous main event, which aired on a Wednesday (0.36, 536K). Compared to the network’s previous Saturday main event last month, ratings fell a tick and viewership 15% (from 1.07M).
Also: WNBA, NASCAR Xfinity, Premier Lacrosse
Sunday’s Chicago-Las Vegas WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.32 rating and 433,000 viewers on ABC, while Connecticut-Minnesota drew a 0.14 and 202,000 on ESPN earlier in the day. As one would expect, both games trailed the previous day’s season-opening windows. … The NASCAR Xfinity Series from Kansas averaged a 0.50 rating and 792,000 viewers on NBCSN Saturday evening; last year’s lone race at the track averaged a 0.9 and 1.32 million on NBC in October. … NBC averaged a 0.24 and 341,000 for Sunday’s Waterdogs-Atlas Premier Lacrosse League match and a 0.24 and 334,000 for Redwoods-Whipsnakes the previous day. Both matches trailed last year’s opening weekend window on NBC, which averaged a 0.29 and 409,000.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 7.28]
