Ratings dropped for each of the “group of five” conference championship games. Also: ratings for golf’s World Challenge, the UFC, and the NHL.
Ratings down for “group of five” championship games
Last Saturday’s Memphis-Cincinnati American Athletic Conference Championship averaged a 1.9 rating and 2.88 million viewers on ABC, marking the smallest rating and audience for the game in three years (2016 Temple-Navy: 1.4, 2.05M).
The Tigers’ win sank 10% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (2.1, 3.32M) and 17% and 15% respectively from 2017 (2.3, 3.39M). Memphis played UCF in those years.
It was the highest rated and most-watched of the “group of five” conference championships. For the season, only one game between “group of five” teams averaged a larger audience — SMU-Memphis on ABC’s Saturday Night Football last month (2.95M).
Elsewhere, ESPN drew a 0.48 (-20%) and 726,000 (-19%) for the Sun Belt Championship (Appalachian State-Louisiana) and a 0.37 (-37%) and 550,000 (-47%) for the Mountain West title game (Hawaii-Boise State). The latter averaged its smallest audience in four years. ESPN2 drew a 0.24 (-37%) and 358,000 (-39%) for the Miami (Ohio)-Central Michigan MAC Championship, the smallest audience for that game since at least 2012.
Move away from NFL boosts golf’s World Challenge
Final round coverage of golf’s World Challenge averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.30 million viewers on NBC last Saturday, up 50% in ratings and 63% in viewership from last year (0.6, 800K), but down 25% and 26% respectively from 2017 (1.2, 1.77M). Prior to this year, the final round took place on a Sunday.
UFC scores top audience since July
The seventh UFC on ESPN main event averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.07 million viewers last Saturday night, marking the largest UFC TV audience since UFC 239 prelims in July (1.15M). Compared to the previous main event on linear TV — a Friday night card on ESPN2 in October — ratings increased a tick (from 0.5) and viewership a third (from 805K).
Compared to last year’s December main event on FOX, ratings fell 45% (from 1.1) and viewership 41% (from 1.83M).
B’s-Caps down, but among top games of season
Bruins-Capitals averaged a 0.29 rating and 468,000 viewers on the latest edition of NHL Wednesday Night Hockey on NBCSN, down 9% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (Penguins-Blackhawks: 0.32, 519K), but up 7% and 2% respectively from 2017 (Bruins-Red Wings: 0.27, 458K).
Despite the drop, Washington’s win ranks as the fourth-most watched game of the NHL season. The Capitals have played in three of the top five.
In the nightcap, Flyers-Avalanche drew a 0.22 and 351,000, the best for a late night game since Opening Night (Sharks-Golden Knights: 379K). There was no late window last year.
