For the third straight week, NHL ratings increased leading into NBC’s Olympic coverage. In other action, a Big Ten matchup topped last weekend’s college hoops ratings, UFC on FOX posted a slight increase over last month, and YES Network hit a Spring Training record.
NHL Ratings Up Again During Olympics
Blues-Predators scored a 0.7 rating and 966,000 viewers on Sunday’s NHL Game of the Week on NBC, up a tick in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (Bruins-Stars: 0.6, 848K) but down 13% and 22% respectively from 2016 (Capitals-Blackhawks: 0.8, 1.2M). All three NHL games on NBC during the Olympics posted a double-digit increase in ratings and viewership.
In other action, Blues-Wild drew 266,000 on NBCSN Tuesday night (+90%) and the Kings-Golden Knights nightcap had 231,000. Monday’s Flyers-Canadiens viewership was not immediately available.
MSU-Wisconsin Tops Weekend College Hoops
Michigan State-Wisconsin topped last weekend’s college hoops ratings, scoring a 1.4 and 2.1 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon. The Spartans’ win increased 27% in ratings and 33% in viewership from last year (Syracuse-Louisville: 1.1, 1.6M) and 27% and 25% respectively from 2016 (Duke-Pitt: 1.1, 1.7M).
Syracuse-Duke ranked second for the weekend, scoring a 1.1 (+31%) and 1.7 million (+26%) on ESPN Saturday night. Rounding out the top five, Kansas-Texas Tech had a 1.0 (+69%) and 1.6 million (+58%) and Missouri-Kentucky a 0.7 (-42%) and 1.2 million (-43%) on ESPN, while Louisvlle-Virginia Tech drew a 0.7 (+20%) and 995,000 (+25%) on CBS.
Shifting to the workweek, Duke-Virginia Tech had a 0.9 (flat) and 1.4 million (flat) and Texas-Kansas a 0.8 (flat) and 1.2 million (-7%) on ESPN’s Big Monday. Miami-North Carolina drew a 0.7 (-24%) and 1.0 million (-29%) and Florida-Alabama a 0.44 and 625,000 (-50%) on Super Tuesday.
UFC on FOX Up From January, But Still Low
Saturday’s UFC on FOX 28 scored a 1.2 rating and 2.0 million viewers, up a tick in ratings and 15% in viewership from the previous edition in January (1.2, 2.0M). There were no previous February editions of UFC on FOX. It was the fourth-least watched mixed martial arts event ever on primetime network television (33 telecasts), with the last six UFC on FOX telecasts ranking among the bottom seven.
YES Scores Spring Training Record
Last Friday’s Tigers-Yankees MLB Spring Training game had a 1.36 rating and 120,000 viewers on YES Network in New York City, the RSN’s highest rated and most-watched weekday afternoon preseason game ever. (UPDATE 3/3: Game was YES Network’s top *weekday afternoon* Spring Training game ever, not the top such game overall.)
[Numbers from ShowBuzz Daily 2.27, Programming Insider 2.28a, 2.28b, YES]
