Viewership increased across-the-board for Super Bowl pre-and-postgame coverage, while “Next Level Chef” hit a new low. Plus: the PGA Tour scored with Tiger Woods’ return and the Phoenix Open; an NHL viewership high on ABC; and more.
Super Bowl shoulder programming up across-the-board; lead-out hits low
Last Sunday’s Super Bowl pregame show averaged 19.8 million viewers on FOX, up 13% from last year on NBC (17.53M) and the largest pregame audience in three years. FOX also averaged 58.47 million for postgame coverage (+8%) and just 15.66 million for its lead-out, the series premiere of the reality series “Next Level Chef” — the least-watched Super Bowl lead-out on record.
Over on ESPN, the postgame “NFL Primetime” averaged 1.87 million viewers — up 61% from last year opposite the Olympics (1.16M) and the show’s largest post-Super Bowl audience since 2018 — and “SportsCenter” 1.19 million afterward (+35%). NFL Network’s postgame “NFL Gameday Final” had 832,000 (+19%). ESPN drew 1.22 million for its pregame “Postseason NFL Countdown” (+8%) and NFL Network 504,000 for its eight-plus hour “NFL Gameday Morning” (+10%).
Somewhat inexplicably, NFL Network averaged 1.22 million viewers for Gamecenter during the Super Bowl itself — up nearly 2,000% from last year (81K). ESPN by comparison averaged fewer than 100,000 for its combination of X Games and dog show reruns. (UPDATE 5/2: Nielsen mistakenly credited a portion of the FOX audience to NFL Network.)
In other NFL action, last week’s NFL Honors drew a combined 3.08 million across NBC and NFL Network — up 5% from last year on ABC and NFL Network (2.93M).
Tiger’s return lifts PGA at Riviera; Phoenix Open up
Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational from Los Angeles, Tiger Woods’ first round of the season, averaged 959,000 viewers on Golf Channel — up 141% from last year and the largest opening round audience in tournament history.
In other PGA Tour action, final round coverage of the Phoenix Open averaged a 2.1 and 3.67 million on CBS last weekend, up slightly from last year (2.0, 3.59M) and easily the most-watched telecast of the young season. Third round action drew a 1.6 and 2.54 million, up a tick and 13% respectively from a year ago (1.5, 2.43M).
NHL scores high in back half of ABC doubleheader
Last Saturday’s Capitals-Bruins NHL regular season game averaged a 0.65 rating and 1.11 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched regular season game outside of the Winter Classic and Thanksgiving Classic in two years. The game was part of a rare broadcast network doubleheader with Lightning-Stars leading-in at a 0.40 and 673,000.
In other action, ESPN drew a 0.26 and 526,000 for an Avalanche-Lightning Stanley Cup Final rematch a week ago Thursday, the network’s most-watched game since November 1 (Bruins-Penguins: 699K). It did not fare as well with Devils-Blues this past Thursday, drawing 340,000.
TNT drew 241,000 for Avalanche-Wild and 232,000 for Blackhawks-Maple Leafs this past Wednesday, down 6% and 1% respectively from last year (Avalanche-Golden Knights: 257K; Panthers-Hurricanes: 234K). The previous week’s Wild-Stars game had 241,000, up 24% year-over-year.
Plus: UFC 284, NASCAR Duel at Daytona, PTI
ESPN averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.13 million viewers for UFC 284 last weekend, the most-watched UFC event on a single network since March of last year. … Thursday’s NASCAR Duel at Daytona averaged 1.54 million viewers on FS1 Thursday night, up 5% from last year (1.46M) and a three-year high. … Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” averaged 814,000 viewers, up 11% from the day after the Super Bowl last year (732K).
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 2.14 a, b, network PR)
