The Women’s College World Series ended with another increase, despite a mid-afternoon start. Plus: ESPN scored its top audience of the NBA Playoffs; NASCAR saw a Daytona-fueled dip for the FOX half of its schedule; plus, the NHL.
WCWS finale up despite midday start; tournament hits new high
Despite airing in a mid-afternoon timeslot, Thursday’s winner-take-all Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series final (Oklahoma-FSU) averaged 1.57 million viewers on ESPN — up 6% from the previous Game 3 in 2016 (Oklahoma-Auburn: 1.48M). It was the least-watched game of the series, with Games 1 and 2 averaging 1.86 and 2.08 million viewers respectively in primetime.
By comparison, when Game 3 of the men’s College World Series final was pushed to a Thursday afternoon in 2016, the game averaged 503,000. Keep in mind that game aired on ESPNU.
The full Oklahoma-FSU series averaged 1.84 million viewers, marking the most-watched WCWS final since Michigan-Florida in 2015 (1.91M) and up 15% from the last time the event took place in 2019 (UCLA-Oklahoma: 1.57M).
The complete, 17-game Women’s College World Series averaged 1.20 million — up 10% from ’19 (1.05M) and a record-high. It narrowly topped the previous mark set in 2015 (1.203 to 1.196M). At least ten of the 17 games averaged more than one million viewers.
ESPN scores its top audience of playoffs for Clippers-Jazz
Thursday’s Clippers-Jazz NBA second round Game 2 averaged 4.07 million viewers on ESPN, up 58% from the comparable night in the “bubble” last year (Nuggets-Clippers Game 1: 2.58M) and the most-watched game of the postseason on ESPN. There was no comparable 2019 window.
Utah’s win ranks fifth for the postseason across all networks, behind three Suns-Lakers games and Game 7 of Mavericks-Clippers (5.49M).
Earlier in the night, Nets-Bucks Game 3 scored 3.79 million — up 55% from the “bubble” (Raptors-Celtics: 2.44M) but down 5% from 2019 (Raptors-Sixers: 4.01M). ESPN’s NBA playoff viewership is now up 32% from the “bubble.”
NASCAR on FOX sees modest decline from ’19, with Daytona to blame
NASCAR Cup Series points races averaged 3.46 million viewers on FOX this season, according to Sports Business Journal, down 7% from 2019 — the last time the schedule took place without any major interruptions (3.73M). The decline can be attributed to the rain-delayed, record-low Daytona 500. Excluding that race, this year’s average is up 3% (from 3.26M to 3.36M).
Golden Knights’ clincher top West game on cable thus far
Thursday’s Avalanche-Golden Knights second round Stanley Cup playoff Game 6 averaged 1.27 million viewers on NBCSN, per John Ourand of Sports Business Journal — up 53% from last year in the “bubble” (Golden Knights-Canucks Game 6: 828K) but down 3% from 2019 (Sharks-Avalanche Game 4: 1.31M). It ranks as the most-watched Western Conference game on cable this postseason.
[Nielsen estimates from ESPN PR, ESPN PR/Twitter 6.11 a, b, Sports Business Journal 6.10, Ourand/Twitter 6.11]
