It’s early, but the Premier League hit season-highs on both cable and broadcast last weekend. In other news, a move from cable to broadcast paid off for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and Formula 1 dropped double-digits in its return from hiatus.
EPL Hits Early Season-Highs on NBC, NBCSN
- Manchester United-Leicester City had a 0.7 rating and 1.1 million viewers on NBC last Saturday, flat in ratings and down 8% in viewership compared to Manchester United-Hull City last year (0.7, 1.2M), but the largest audience of the young Premier League season. The following day, Liverpool-Arsenal pulled a 0.43 (+34%) and 694,000 (+41%) on NBCSN, the largest cable audience thus far. The weekend’s other matches did not fare as well, topping out at a 0.24 (-8%) and 356,000 (-8%) for Newcastle-West Ham. Bournemouth-Manchester City (269K, -21%) and Everton-Chelsea on CNBC (230K, +84%) brought up the rear.
Move From NBCSN to NBC Gives NASCAR Xfinity Big Boost
- NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wi.) drew a 1.3 rating and 2.1 million viewers on NBC last Sunday, up 117% in ratings and 127% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (0.6, 932K) and the highest rated and most-watched Xfinity Series race since the Daytona season opener on Fox Sports 1 (1.4, 2.3M). Outside of Daytona, it was the series’ top race since Talladega on FOX last year (1.9, 2.9M).
F1 Belgian GP Dips
- Last Sunday’s Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix drew a 0.30 rating and 447,000 viewers on NBCSN, down 14% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (0.35, 526K) and down 17% and 15% respectively from 2015 (0.36, 524K). The previous night, IndyCar’s return to Gateway Motorsports Park (Ill.) for the first time since 2003 earned a 0.23 and 359,000.
[Numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 8.29]
