Serena Williams‘ record-setting achievement was not enough to lift ratings for the Wimbledon women’s final.
Last Sunday’s Williams/Angelique Kerber Wimbledon women’s final earned a 1.5 final rating and 2.2 million viewers on ESPN, down 12% in ratings and 10% in viewership from Williams/Garbine Muguruza last year (1.7, 2.4M) but up 67% and 66%, respectively, from Petra Kvitova/Eugenie Bouchard in 2014 (0.9, 1.3M).
The full six-hour telecast window had a 1.1 and 1.6 million, up a tick in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (1.0, 1.4M), and the highest rated and most-watched telecast to feature the women’s final since 2012 (1.6, 2.2M). In addition to the women’s final, coverage also included Serena and her sister Venus Williams winning the women’s doubles competition. Last year’s full window, by contrast, included re-airs of the men’s semifinals.
On Sunday, the Andy Murray/Milos Raonic men’s final had a 1.5 and 2.2 million — down 21% in ratings and 19% in viewership from Novak Djokovic/Roger Federer last year (1.9, 2.7M) and down 21% and 22%, respectively, from that same matchup in 2014 (1.9, 2.8M).
It was the lowest rated and least-watched men’s final since ESPN began airing the event in 2012. Since ESPN’s first men’s final — Federer/Murray — earned 3.9 million in 2012, viewership has declined in each successive year.
The full 5 1/2 hour telecast window had a 1.2 final rating and 1.8 million viewers — down 14% and 11%, respectively, from last year (1.4, 2.0M). The 1.2 rating is the lowest for Wimbledon coverage featuring the men’s final since at least 1996 and viewership was the lowest since at least 2001.
(Numbers from ESPN, ESPN Media Zone)
