The F1 Monaco Grand Prix hit a viewership high despite airing on ESPN2. Plus: NASCAR hit a season-low in its debut at COTA; MLB on FOX opened its season with an increase; and more.
F1 Monaco GP up despite airing on ESPN2
Last Sunday’s Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix averaged a 0.6 rating and 934,000 viewers on ESPN2, marking the largest live audience for the event since it last aired on broadcast network NBC in 2017. Viewership increased 1% from the last time the race was held in 2019 (925K) and 14% from 2018 (820K), both of which aired on the ESPN flagship.
Max Verstappen’s win delivered the fourth-largest F1 audience ever on cable. An encore presentation on ABC averaged a 0.49 and 763,000 later Sunday, flat and up 8% respectively from ’19 (0.49, 705K).
NASCAR hits season-low for COTA debut
The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race from Circuit of the Americas (Austin, Tex.) averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.36 million viewers on FS1 last Sunday, the least-watched race of the season (second-least watched including a Sunday make-up race at Martinsville in April). Ratings fell a tick and viewership 3% from the previous week’s race at Dover (1.5, 2.43M).
The Xfinity Series race there had a 0.58 and 947,000.
MLB on FOX sees bump in season debut
Regional Major League Baseball action on FOX (Red Sox-Phillies in a plurality of markets) averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.59 million viewers last Saturday night, down a tick in ratings but up 10% in viewership from the network’s first telecast in 2019 (ft. Cubs-Nationals: 1.5, 2.36M). The telecast outdrew all-but-one FOX window during last year’s delayed, shortened season.
In other action, Cubs-Cardinals drew a 0.9 and 1.53 million on the latest edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, up a tick and 17% respectively from the eighth Sunday night window in 2019 (5/19/19 Cubs-Nationals: 0.8, 1.31M). Compared to the eighth Sunday night game last season, a September Astros-Dodgers game that faced Sunday Night Football, ratings jumped 80% (from 0.49) and viewership 71% (from 896K).
Going back to last week, ESPN pulled a 0.44 (-19%) and 703,000 (-11%) for Mets-Braves on May 17 and a 0.29 and 462,000 for Yankees-Rangers on May 18. FS1 drew a 0.22 and 372,000 for Brewers-Reds last Friday.
Plus: WNBA, boxing, Spring League, Indy qualifying
WNBA games have averaged 357,000 viewers on ESPN/ABC so far this season (five telecasts), down from the same number of games both last year (361K) and 2019 (397K). Keep in mind that two of the five games have aired on ESPN2, compared to zero at the same point in 2020 and 2019. … The latest edition of ESPN’s Top Rank Boxing, featuring the Josh Taylor–Jose Ramirez undisputed junior welterweight title fight, averaged a 0.56 rating and 995,000 viewers last Saturday night — the largest audience for the series since last December. Coverage preempted part of an ESPN NBA playoff game. … The latest edition of The Spring League football averaged a mere 0.23 and 283,000 on FOX, trailing the previous two weeks (0.28, 448K; 0.24, 380K). … Indy 500 qualifying averaged just a 0.39 and 600,000 on NBC last Saturday and a 0.39 and 649,000 last Sunday, both well below last year’s months-delayed telecasts (0.54, 824K; 0.63, 933K).
