Ratings: MLB, Premier League, Racing

Sunday’s Cubs-Pirates MLB Little League Classic averaged a 1.1 rating and 1.76 million viewers on ESPN, up a tick in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (Mets-Phillies: 1.0, 1.63M), but flat and down 1% respectively from 2017 (Cardinals-Pirates: 1.1, 1.78M).

The Cubs have now played in four of the ten most-watched games on cable this season, with Sunday’s game ranking ninth. Only the Red Sox have played in more (five).

Earlier in the day, Dodgers-Braves drew a 0.34 and 508,000 (+76%) on TBS. On Saturday, FS1 scored 275,000 for Astros-A’s (+52%) and 222,000 for the 14-inning Brewers-Nationals game (-58%).

Saturday’s Tottenham-Manchester City English Premier League match averaged a 0.7 rating and 1.04 million viewers on NBC, flat in ratings and down 3% in viewership from Arsenal-Chelsea last year (0.7, 1.07M) and up 31% and 34% respectively from 2017 (Stoke-Arsenal: 0.54, 778K). Including streaming, the match averaged 1.3 million.

Shifting to NBCSN, Leicester City-Chelsea earned a 0.44 (+12%) and 695,000 (+21%) Sunday morning, with that total rising to 736,000 with streaming included. The network also drew a 0.37 (+23%) and 627,000 (+47%) for Liverpool-Southampton Saturday morning.

Sunday’s IndyCar Series race from Pocono (Pa.) averaged a 0.36 rating and 549,000 viewers on NBCSN, marking the largest IndyCar audience on cable this season. The race, which was delayed due to an accident and shortened due to weather, increased 6% in ratings and 1% in viewership from last year (0.34, 542K), but declined 10% and 11% respectively from 2017 (0.40, 618K).

Including streaming, the race had 553,000.

NBCSN also drew a 0.6 (+10%) and 909,000 (+10%) for last Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Bristol (Tenn.). It was the fourth of five Xfinity Series races to post an increase in ratings and/or viewership, after the first 17 declined.