ESPN has responded to numerous media reports of a major decline in the network’s second quarter viewership.
Sports Business Daily on Tuesday reported that ESPN had a 32% decline in primetime viewership during the second quarter of 2013, the network’s worst performance in a single quarter since at least 2006. The network’s total-day viewership dropped 20% and was the lowest since 2007.
The sizable decline attracted attention across the media landscape, even among those that do not traditionally cover sports TV ratings. Even CBS’ “The Late Show with David Letterman” took note, airing a Top Ten list of the lowest rated ESPN shows.
With ESPN’s lower ratings attracting attention far and wide, the network responded with a post on its corporate blog Thursday.
On the “ESPN Front Row” website, the decline in Q2 viewership was described as a “rare aberration” largely caused by a weaker NBA slate — fewer games overall, and very few games involving big market teams.
The @ESPNResearch Twitter feed echoed this sentiment:
If you like context (31 less NBA games) with your bold headlines ("declines!") here's some re: ESPN TV ratings: http://t.co/7vg0ZQH1cs
— ESPN Research (@ESPNResearch) July 11, 2013
This is true. ESPN aired just two NBA playoff games involving the Lakers or Heat (compared to 11 last year), and the network’s conference final was a four game Spurs/Grizzlies dud that dropped 50% from a seven-game Heat/Celtics thriller the previous year.
Overall, the 2013 NBA Playoffs was the lowest rated and least-viewed postseason on ESPN since 2007. By comparison, the network’s coverage of the 2012 playoffs was the highest rated and most-viewed ever on any cable network.
(It should be pointed out that this year’s NBA Playoffs performed far better for TNT and ABC. TNT had its third-most viewed postseason ever, and ABC had a modest increase over last year. Of course, TNT and ABC both had the benefit of seven-game series involving the Heat.)
While it is tempting to look at ESPN’s precipitous Q2 decline as an indication that the network’s strategy — constant debate, overused narratives, a laser focus on two or three athletes — is failing, the San Antonio Spurs are a likelier culprit.
With that said, not all of the blame can be placed on a weaker NBA postseason. ESPN also had declines during the first quarter of 2013, with primetime viewership down 8% and total-day viewership down 9%. That was despite an increase for the Bowl Championship Series.
As of May 12, ESPN’s daytime “SportsCenter” broadcasts dropped 11% in viewership from last year, pointing toward some erosion for the network’s studio programming. That jibes with the overall 13% drop in household viewership ESPN had for daytime programming (6:00 AM-6:00 PM) during Q2.
In addition, ESPN2 also had declines in Q2 — dropping 12% in primetime and 9% total-day, hitting multi-year lows in both categories. ESPN2 also had declines in Q1. Keep in mind ESPN2 aired only three NBA playoff games this year.
Perhaps it can be said that a weaker NBA postseason exacerbated modest declines for ESPN programming. ESPN is not exactly falling off of a cliff, but the network’s declines may not be an “aberration” either.
(ESPN Front Row; Q1 and Q2 numbers from Sports Business Daily [1], [2]; “SportsCenter” averages from SI.com)
