The NFL preseason topped weekend sports with a double-digit increase on FOX. Plus: the PGA Tour FedEx Cup got off to a rough start; the Yankees boosted the MLB Little League Classic to a new high; and more.
FOX scores double-digit increase for preseason game
Sunday’s Saints-49ers NFL preseason game averaged 4.63 million viewers on FOX, marking the largest sports audience of the weekend and a 10% increase over Texans-Saints last year, which aired one week later in the preseason (4.23M). The game aired opposite competing preseason action on NFL Network, as Packers-Broncos averaged 1.42 million, down from 2.02 million for Saints-Chargers opposite no such competition last year. Combined, the games averaged 6.05 million.
In other preseason action, Lions-Chiefs led the Saturday slate with 2.07 million on NFL Network — up 31% from Dolphins-Texans last year (1.58M).
PGA Tour FedEx Cup opens with decline
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour St. Jude Championship averaged 2.21 million viewers on NBC Sunday, not including any additional streaming viewership from Adobe Analytics — down 31% from last year on CBS (3.21M) and the smallest audience for the final round in more than a decade. Third round action drew 1.45 million, down 24% from last year’s 1.90 million.
MLB Little League Classic scores top audience yet
The Yankees-Tigers Major League Baseball Little League Classic averaged a combined 2.17 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, marking the largest audience for the annual special (seven telecasts). Previous editions did not feature the Yankees. The Tigers’ extra-inning win, which peaked with 2.37 million viewers during the 9:30 PM ET quarter-hour, increased 39% from last year’s game.
In a rarity, the ESPN broadcast outdrew MLB on FOX the prior night, which drew 1.72 million.
Premier League opening weekend hits high
The opening weekend of the English Premier League season averaged 820,000 viewers across the NBC networks, a figure that includes additional streaming data tracked by Adobe Analytics — marking the largest audience yet for the opening weekend of the season. Manchester City-Chelsea led the way with 1.85 million across NBC and Peacock on Sunday, a figure that rises to 2.22 million with Telemundo’s audience of 368,000 included.
