For the fourth straight Saturday, the NFL dominated the day in sports viewing.
ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes combined to average a 10.3 rating and 19.78 million viewers for Steelers-Ravens and a 10.2 and 19.70 million for Texans-Colts in the NFL’s annual Week 18 Saturday doubleheader. Steelers-Ravens increased 9% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Chiefs-Raiders a year ago (9.4, 17.76M), while Texans-Colts rose 2% and 4% respectively from last year’s Titans-Jaguars game (10.0, 19.00M).
Unsurprisingly, neither game was as big a draw as the previous Saturday — when ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes combined to average a 12.9 and 26.11 million for Lions-Cowboys.
Outside of the NFL, the day’s top sportscast was a TCU-Kansas men’s college basketball game on CBS at a 0.9 and 1.55 million — up sharply from Mississippi-Mississippi State last year (0.39, 672K). Kentucky-Florida ranked second with a 0.8 and 1.49 million on ESPN, up from Kentucky-Alabama last year (0.7, 1.17M). FOX drew a mere 0.8 and 690,000 for Ohio State-Indiana in primetime, opposite the NFL.
Third round coverage of the PGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions averaged a 0.7 and 1.10 million on NBC, on par with last year (0.7, 1.09M). The bulk of the round aired on Golf Channel at a 0.25 and 415,000, down from last year’s 0.30 and 525,000. In tennis, Coco Gauff-Elena Svitolina drew a 0.08 and 113,000 on Tennis Channel.
Saturday, January 6 sports ratings
