The new Padres-Dodgers rivalry helped Sunday Night Baseball to a strong showing in the ratings. Plus: recent numbers for the NBA and PGA Tour.
Padres-Dodgers rivalry strong on Sunday Night Baseball
Padres-Dodgers averaged a 1.1 rating and 2.01 million viewers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball last weekend, the largest audience for a Sunday night game since Yankees-Dodgers in August 2019 (2.39M). Figures include an ESPN2 “Statcast” simulcast that had a 0.09 and 202,000.
San Diego’s comeback, extra-inning win — which peaked with 2.22 million viewers from 8:30-8:45 PM ET and averaged 2.19 million in the Midnight quarter-hour — jumped 61% in ratings and 84% in viewership from the fourth Sunday night game in 2019 (4/21/19 Braves-Indians: 0.7, 1.09M) and 38% and 58% respectively from the fourth game last season (8/16/20 Red Sox-Yankees: 0.8, 1.28M).
In other action, Braves-Yankees scored a 0.51 and 835,000 on ESPN last Wednesday — flat in ratings and up 7% in viewership from Red Sox-Yankees in 2019 (0.51, 784K) and the top weeknight game since Opening Day. ESPN also drew 666,000 for Cubs-Braves Monday (+40%) and 474,000 for Red Sox-Mets Tuesday.
FS1 chipped in a 0.18 and 311,000 (+5%) for Nationals-Mets and a 0.16 (-50%) and 301,000 (-41%) for Rangers-White Sox last Saturday.
NBA Saturday Primetime ends on quiet note
Lakers-Mavericks averaged a 1.1 rating and 1.89 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime last weekend, ranking second-to-last among the network’s eight Saturday night games this season. Mavericks-Nets had 1.85 million in February.
The same matchup averaged a 0.9 and 1.37 million on TNT last Thursday, the network’s most-watched game since Nets-Lakers on February 18 (1.94M). Sixers-Bucks had a 0.6 and 915,000 earlier in the night.
In other action, ESPN pulled a 0.9 and 1.45 million for Nuggets-Warriors and a 0.7 and 1.15 million for Nets-Celtics last Friday; a 0.6 and 1.06 million for Sixers-Bucks and 0.5 and 797,000 for Raptors-Knicks on Saturday; and a 0.9 and 1.36 million for Suns-Nets and 0.6 and 953,000 for Celtics-Hornets on Sunday. TNT drew 984,000 for Mavericks-Warriors on Tuesday.
PGA Tour hits New Orleans high
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour at New Orleans averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.16 million viewers last Sunday, the largest audience for the event since 2015 (2.36M). Ratings increased 40% and viewership 47% from the last time the tournament was held in 2019 (1.0, 1.46M).
Third round coverage was the most-watched since at least 2013, averaging a 1.1 (+31%) and 1.60 million (+34%). Nineteen of the last 24 PGA Tour windows on broadcast TV have increased over the prior year.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 4.28]
