Albeit with some caveats, Univision’s Contacto Deportivo outdrew ESPN’s SportsCenter in each of the past two months.
Univision averaged 542,000 viewers for its nightly highlight show Contacto Deportivo in the month of August, topping ESPN’s Midnight ET SportsCenter head-to-head (514K). It also outdrew the 11 PM and 1 AM editions of SportsCenter, which averaged 486,000 and 443,000 viewers, respectively.
That came on the heels of an even bigger advantage in July. Contacto Deportivo averaged 641,000 viewers, 42% higher than the 451,000 SportsCenter averaged in the same timeslot, and also ahead of the 11 PM (413K) and 1 AM (398K) editions.
There are of course caveats. Univision is a broadcast network boosted not only by live soccer but also regular network shows and newscasts. ESPN, for as powerful as it has become, is still a cable network — and had little notable programming to air in July or August.
While Univision won the overall viewership battle, SportsCenter still came out ahead in the key men 18-34 demographic. The 11 PM, Midnight and 1 AM editions of SportsCenter topped Contacto Deportivo in the demo both months, including 100% head-to-head advantage in August.
(Averages from Univision, ESPN)
