Amazon scored a sizable increase for its NFL preseason game, plus another seven-figure audience for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
Big jump for Amazon’s NFL preseason game
Thursday’s Colts-Eagles NFL preseason game on Amazon Prime averaged a 0.85 rating and 1.60 million viewers, up 60% in ratings and 54% in viewership from the network’s preseason game last year (49ers-Texans: 0.53, 1.04M). Amazon’s game comfortably outdrew the competing Steelers-Falcons matchup on NFL Network, which averaged a 0.7 and 1.31 million — down 35% and 28% respectively from last year (Packers-Chiefs: 1.1, 1.80M).
Nielsen is changing its methodology this year to incorporate first-party data from Amazon and other streamers — marking the first time that the measurement company has relied upon data obtained by its clients — but it is not clear whether that change had gone into effect in time for Thursday’s game.
In other preseason action, ESPN averaged a 1.6 and 2.88 million for Baltimore-Washington on Monday Night Football — up 15 in ratings and 26% in viewership from Falcons-Jets a year ago (1.4, 2.29M).
Going back to last weekend, Saints-Chargers averaged a 1.1 and 2.02 million on NFL Network last Sunday night — up from last year’s comparable NFL Network window (Bengals-Giants: 0.8, 1.36M), which aired opposite a competing preseason game on FOX (Ravens-Cardinals: 3.22M).
Another million viewer audience for Messi in Miami
Wednesday’s Cincinnati-Inter Miami MLS US Open Cup match averaged a 0.55 rating and 1.01 million viewers on Telemundo and Universo, marking the third-largest linear TV audience of the MLS season. Lionel Messi’s Miami squad has delivered the three-largest, with his Miami debut ranking first (1.75M) and last weekend’s Leagues Cup final placing second (1.45M), both on Univision. As with those two previous matches, English-language coverage did not air on Nielsen-rated television.
For more sports ratings, see the latest weekly chart and roundup.
From the roundup
— NASCAR Cup Series racing from Watkins Glen (N.Y.) averaged a 1.3 and 2.31 million on USA Network last weekend, down double-digits from last year.
— Final round coverage of the PGA Tour BMW Championship scored a 1.9 and 3.03 million on CBS, up from last year and the most-watched sportscast of the week.
— The Phillies-Nationals MLB Little League Classic scored a double-digit increase on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball with 1.60 million viewers.
— Viewership for the singles finals of the tennis Cincinnati Open (Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff-Karolína Muchová) increased 80 and 45 percent respectively from last year.
Additional Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 8.25, Sports TV Ratings 8.25)
