Airing seven months later — and two hours earlier — than usual, the Masters got off to a slower start in the ratings. Also: Thursday Night Football declined double-digits; the Breeders Cup continued horse racing’s sharp decline; ESPN aired its least-watched UFC main event.
Masters opening round down to three-year low
Thursday’s first round of the Masters averaged 2.21 million viewers on ESPN, down 11% from last year (2.48M), down 26% from 2018 (2.48M), and the tournament’s least-watched opening round in three years (2017: 2.13M).
Because this year’s Masters is taking place in November rather than April — a time of year when the days are shorter — the telecast windows are airing earlier than usual. ESPN’s coverage Thursday ran from 1-5:30 PM ET, two hours earlier than last year (3-7:30). Viewership peaked in the final 15 minutes at 2.44 million.
The Masters averaged a larger opening round audience than the U.S. Open in September (841K) or PGA Championship in August (1.25M). Its 11% decline was considerably more modest than the 39% drop for day one of the Open, but paled in comparison to the 24% jump — and five-year high — for the opening of the PGA.
AFC South fails to move needle on TNF
The latest edition of NFL Thursday Night Football (Colts-Titans) averaged 12.16 million viewers on FOX and NFL Network, down 10% from last year (Chargers-Raiders: 13.52M) and down 18% from 2018 (Panthers-Steelers: 14.75M). TNF has declined in four straight weeks, with previous games going up against presidential election coverage and a presidential debate.
Breeders Cup down more than 50 percent
Horse racing’s Breeders Cup averaged a mere 0.51 rating and 802,000 viewers on NBC last Saturday, its lowest rating and viewership in at least a decade. Ratings and viewership fell 54% from last year’s primetime edition (1.1, 1.74M) and 51% and 50% respectively from an afternoon telecast in 2018 (1.05, 1.61M).
The steep declines for the Breeders Cup follow similar results for this year’s Triple Crown races, which were each postponed and run out of the usual sequence. Ratings fell 35% and viewership 32% for the Belmont Stakes in June, 49% and 43% respectively for the Kentucky Derby in September, and 62% and 56% respectively for last month’s Preakness Stakes.
ESPN airs its least-watched UFC main event
The latest UFC main event on ESPN averaged a 0.24 rating and 429,000 viewers last Saturday night, marking the least-watched main event on the ESPN family of networks. The previous low was 536,000 for a midweek main event in July. Keep in mind the card was originally scheduled for ESPN2 and moved up to ESPN after a scheduled college football game was called off.
[Nielsen estimates from ESPN PR 11.13, ShowBuzz Daily 11.10, 11.13]
