The return of Major League Baseball’s London Series was no match for the original. Plus: an increase for NASCAR, a downer weekend for golf, and more.
MLB London Series no match for four years ago
In the second edition of the Major League Baseball London Series, Cubs-Cardinals averaged a 1.0 rating and 1.80 million viewers on FOX Saturday and a 0.7 and 1.17 million on ESPN Sunday — both down sharply from the equivalent Yankees-Red Sox games from London four years ago (1.9, 2.86M; 1.4, 2.06M).
Neither game was the most-watched MLB telecast of the day. FOX averaged a 1.05 and 1.93 million for its usual Saturday night regional window and ESPN a 1.0 and 1.74 million for Sunday Night Baseball, with both windows featuring Astros-Dodgers.
NASCAR Nashville viewership scores increase
NASCAR Cup Series racing from Nashville averaged a 1.8 rating and 3.21 million viewers on NBC Sunday evening, flat in ratings and up 10% in viewership from last year’s race, which aired in an earlier window and was rain delayed (1.8, 2.92M). Ross Chastain’s win delivered the largest audience in the brief three-year history of the race.
The race was the most-watched sporting event of the weekend, ranking further down the list at fourth place in adults 18-49.
Downer weekend for PGA Tour, Women’s PGA Championship
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Greater Hartford Open averaged a 1.5 rating and 2.44 million viewers on CBS, down a tick in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.59M) and the least-watched final round of the tournament since 2019 (1.4, 2.17M). Third round action on Saturday (1.1, 1.75M) was also the least-watched since ’19.
In other golf action, the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship drew a 0.43 (-38%) and 658,000 (-37%) on NBC Sunday, with third round action at a 0.32 (-35%) and 490,000 (-32%) on Saturday — the least-watched rounds of the tournament since COVID-delayed edition three years ago (643K; 447K).
Plus: WNBA, Gold Cup, USFL, Royal Ascot
- ABC averaged a 0.47 rating and 733,000 viewers for Sunday’s Wings-Sparks WNBA regular season game, the league’s third-largest regular season audience in the past decade. Coverage began late in the first half due to a late-running lead-in from Mystics-Liberty, which averaged a 0.40 and 652,000. Eight WNBA windows this season have averaged at least 600,000 viewers, doubling last year’s full regular season total of four.
- Sunday’s Mexico-Honduras Concacaf Gold Cup match averaged a 1.0 rating and 2.24 million viewers on Univision, marking the largest audience of the tournament’s opening weekend. English-language coverage on FS1 chipped in a 0.12 and 274,000. On Saturday, United States-Jamaica drew a 0.50 and 1.03 million on Univision and a 0.29 and 642,000 on FS1. Compared to the equivalent Mexico and U.S. matches two years ago, viewership declined for both matches on both networks.
- Saturday’s Michigan-Pittsburgh USFL semifinal averaged a 0.58 rating and 957,000 viewers on NBC, down 11% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (New Orleans-Birmingham: 0.65, 998K). In the other semifinal, New Orleans-Birmingham drew a 0.53 and 852,000 — down 9% and 11% respectively from a year ago (Philadelphia-New Jersey: 0.58, 957K).
- Horse racing’s Royal Ascot averaged a 0.49 rating and 725,000 viewers on NBC Saturday morning, the smallest audience for the event since 2020 (712K) and down 11% and 16% respectively from last year (0.55, 862K).
For additional ratings reporting, see the following:
— Milestone viewership for LSU-Florida MCWS Final
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 6.27)
