A matchup of last-place WNBA teams on ION topped all other sports programming on a quiet June Friday, just the latest indication of Caitlin Clark’s impact on the ratings.
Friday’s Fever-Mystics WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.02 million viewers on ION, marking the largest WNBA audience ever on the Scripps-owned “netlet,” which began carrying games last season. Indiana’s victory over winless Washington — just their third of the season — was the sixth WNBA game this season to top the million viewer mark. Entering this season, the league had gone nearly 16 years without a single seven-figure audience.
The WNBA game delivered the top sports audience of the day, marking the first time that ION (or fellow “netlet” CW) has topped the charts. The second half of the WNBA doubleheader, a regional window, averaged a 0.35 and 528,000. For more on the WNBA ratings, see this article.
Placing a distant second, a West Virginia-North Carolina NCAA baseball super regional game averaged a 0.33 and 660,000 on ESPN, leading into the NCAA track and field championships at a 0.35 and 602,000. Both events were elevated from ESPN2 to ESPN because the Women’s College World Series ended in a sweep.
The baseball game placed first for the day among sporting events in the key adult demographics of 18-49 (268K), 18-34 (122K) and 25-54 (304K).
The overlapping Kansas State-Virginia game had a 0.19 and 375,000 on ESPN2. In the afternoon session, ESPN2 drew a 0.25 and 434,000 for Evansville-Tennessee and ESPN scored a 0.21 and 375,000 for Florida State’s annihilation of UConn.
Ranking third for the day, coverage of the French Open men’s semifinals (Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev-Casper Ruud) averaged a 0.42 and 626,000 on NBC — down from last year’s 0.46 and 719,000, when Alcaraz faced Novak Djokovic. Tennis Channel’s overlapping coverage averaged a 0.28 and 455,000, with Alcaraz-Sinner at a 0.31 and 509,000 and Zverev-Ruud at a 0.24 and 372,000.
Second round coverage of the PGA Tour Memorial Tournament took fourth place with a 0.39 and 607,000 on Golf Channel, up sharply from last year’s 0.30 and 477,000.
Further down the dial, a NASCAR Cup Series practice from Sonoma (Ca.) averaged a 0.13 and 218,000 on FS1, leading into NHRA qualifying at a0.10 and 173,000.
Friday, June 7 sports ratings
