Rangers-Bruins delivered the NHL’s top indoor audience of the season. Plus: gains for the PGA Tour at Bay Hill, a seven-year high for MLB Spring Training, and more.
Rangers-Bruins top indoor game of NHL season
Rangers-Bruins averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.13 million viewers in the first half of Saturday’s ABC Hockey Saturday doubleheader, marking the largest indoor NHL audience of the season and third-largest overall. Only the Winter Classic (Penguins-Bruins: 1.78M) and Stadium Series (Capitals-Hurricanes: 0.6, 1.14M) rank higher.
Later in the day, Avalanche-Stars scored a 0.46 and 795,000 — up 18% in ratings and 20% in viewership from Blackhawks-Flyers last year (0.39, 664K).
Over on TNT, Lightning-Hurricanes drew a 0.19 (+27%) and 377,000 (+29%) Sunday afternoon. Rangers-Flyers had a 0.18 and 318,000 last Wednesday, with the caveat that TNT coverage was blacked out in New York — down a third in ratings and 34% in viewership from last year (Blues-Rangers: 0.27, 485K). The Hurricanes-Golden Knights nightcap drew a 0.14 (flat) and 243,000 (+1%).
PGA Tour scores gains at Bay Hill
Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational averaged a 2.0 rating and 3.26 million viewers on NBC, up 16% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (1.7, 2.83M) and the second-largest audience for the tournament in the past five years. Third round action the previous day drew a 1.4 and 2.27 million, up 12% and 16% respectively year-over-year.
After declines at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach, viewership has now increased for six of the past eight PGA Tour windows on broadcast television.
ESPN has its most-watched Spring Training since 2016
ESPN averaged 378,000 viewers for four MLB Spring Training games last week, the network’s highest preseason average since 2016. Viewership increased 29% from the last time ESPN carried Spring Training games two years ago (Spring Training last year was delayed by the owners’ lockout).
The most-watched of the Spring Training games was Mets-Cardinals a week ago Monday, which drew 423,000 viewers — the largest Spring Training audience on ESPN since ’16.
Plus: UFC, NFL Combine, EPL
Airing directly after the Duke-North Carolina men’s college basketball game, UFC 285 prelims averaged 1.23 million viewers on ESPN Saturday night — the largest single-network UFC audience since UFC 272 prelims in the same window last year (1.53M). … The NFL Combine averaged 219,000 viewers on NFL Network, up 26% from last year, but down from the prior edition three years ago (242K). Saturday was the most-watched of the event with 329,000 viewers, the largest day three audience for the Combine on record (dating back to 2007). … USA Network averaged 973,000 viewers for Sunday’s Manchester United-Liverpool English Premier League match, the largest EPL audience on cable this season.
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 3.7)
