Copa America continues to deliver big gains over the previous edition in 2021. Plus: weekend ratings for NASCAR, the PGA Tour and more.
Copa America still delivering for Fox, Univision
Copa America 2024 is averaging 1.09 million viewers on FOX and FS1 through Tuesday’s matches, up 421% from the same point in 2021 (209K) and up 39% from 2016 (784K). Tuesday’s Argentina-Chile match averaged 1.15 million viewers on FS1, peaking at 1.48 million in the 10:45 PM ET quarter-hour — the network’s fourth-largest audience for a soccer match that did not involve the United States or take place during the World Cup. Canada-Peru led in with 749,000, peaking at 977,000 in the 7:45 quarter-hour.
Shifting to coverage on the Univision networks, Mexico-Jamaica led the opening weekend slate with 2.5 million across Univision and TUDN on Saturday — the most-watched telecast of the year of any kind on Spanish-language television. Argentina-Canada placed second with 1.83 million viewers on Friday, up 26% from the opening match in 2021.
The United States-Bolivia match that averaged a tournament-high 3.2 million on FOX also drew 1.5 million on Univision and TUDN.
As for the other major soccer tournament, Euro 2024 was also averaging 1.09 million on the Fox networks through Tuesday, up 32% from 2021 (824K). The Fox networks have carried five fewer matches than ESPN/ABC did three years ago. Tuesday’s England-Slovenia match averaged 1.61 million on FOX, up 59% from Czech Republic-England on ESPN in ’21, while France-Poland led in with 1.12 million (+82%). Both matches aired opposite competing windows on FS1, Denmark-Serbia (293K) and Austria-Netherlands (400K) respectively.
Rain hits NASCAR New Hampshire viewership
Sunday’s rain-impacted NASCAR Cup Series race from New Hampshire averaged a 1.0 rating and 1.88 million viewers on USA Network, down from the last time the race was run on a Sunday in 2022 (1.5, 2.40M). Last year’s race was postponed altogether and averaged a 0.6 and 1.03 million on a Monday. Figures exclude a two-hour mid-race rain delay.
As should be no surprise, the race was the least-watched of the season. (Due to the rain-delay, IndyCar Series racing from Laguna Seca was bumped from USA to CNBC.)
In other racing action, the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix averaged 1.1 million on ESPN — up from last year (1.0M) and the second-largest audience on record for the race. It was the fifth-straight F1 race to post an increase over the previous edition.
Olympic Trials continue to trend up, with track hitting high Sunday
Coverage of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials averaged 5.2 million viewers on NBC Sunday night (including additional streaming viewership not tracked by Nielsen), the largest audience for the track and field trials since 2012. (Keep in mind out-of-home viewing was not tracked in Nielsen estimates until 2020.) NBC also drew 4.1 million for coverage on Saturday, up 41% from the same night in 2021.
The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials averaged 3.4 million over nine nights, up 26% from 2021, but down 31% from a Nielsen-only average of 4.9 million in 2016. The diving trials averaged 2.3 million (+18%).
Plus: PGA Tour, MLB, UFC
— Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Hartford tournament, which was moved up an hour due to weather, averaged 2.60 million viewers on CBS — up 7% from last year and the highest average for the tournament in three years. Scottie Scheffler’s dramatic playoff victory peaked with 4.33 million in the 4:30 PM ET quarter-hour.
— Regional Major League Baseball action on FOX averaged 2.21 million viewers Saturday night, up from last year (1.93M), while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (Mets-Cubs) drew 1.58 million — down from last year (1.74M). Both of last year’s windows featured Astros-Dodgers.
— Saturday’s UFC Fight Night on ABC averaged 975,000 viewers, up 5% from last year.
