Ratings roundup — the WNBA semifinals opened at a viewership high; Sunday Night Baseball rebounded from last year but was no match for 2019; PSG-Manchester City boosted the UCL group stage to a near-record; and more.
WNBA semis start with viewership high
Tuesday’s double-overtime Sky-Sun WNBA semifinal opener averaged 399,000 viewers on ESPN2, marking the largest WNBA playoff audience prior to the Finals since 2018 (Mystics-Dream Game 5: 430K). It was the most-watched Game 1 of the semifinal round since the current WNBA playoff format began in 2016.
The Mercury-Aces nightcap chipped in 298,000. Figures for Game 2 of each series Thursday night were not immediately available.
In other action, last Sunday’s Mercury-Storm single-elimination game averaged 311,000 on ABC — the most-watched single-elimination game since Lynx-Sparks in 2018 (343K). Sky-Lynx followed with just 111,000 on ESPN2. Last year’s second round games, which aired on a Thursday night on ESPN2, averaged 149,000 (Mercury-Lynx: 145K; Sun-Sparks: 154K).
Sunday Night Baseball up from last year, but down from previous years
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball averaged 1.46 million viewers this season, up 18% from last year’s delayed, shortened schedule, but down 9% from the last full season in 2019 (1.60M). Outside of last year, it was the least-watched season of the Sunday night series since at least 2015. Viewership had been trending up from 2019 earlier in the season.
Wednesday’s Yankees-Blue Jays Major League Baseball game averaged 699,000 viewers on ESPN, up 11% from Yankees-Rays in a similar window two years ago (628K). There was no comparable window last year. Padres-Dodgers drew 488,000 later in the night (+33% from 2019) and 515,000 on Tuesday (+58% from last year). Over on FS1, Phillies-Braves drew 366,000 Tuesday night.
PSG-Man City nears UCL group stage high
Tuesday’s PSG-Manchester City UEFA Champions League group stage match averaged 981,000 viewers on Univision and TUDN, marking the second-largest UCL group stage audience on record, regardless of network. Barcelona-Juventus last December holds the top spot with 1.07 million. PSG has now played in two of the top three matches, with their September 15 meeting with Club Brugge averaging 769,000.
The Univision networks are now averaging 485,000 for UCL coverage thus far, up 39% from the comparable point last year.
In other action, last Saturday’s Liga MX El Super Clasico averaged 1.63 million on the Univision networks — on par with last year.
Plus: Nielsen delay, F1, PTI doc, NASCAR trucks
Figures for Thursday’s sportscasts, including Thursday Night Football, the WNBA playoffs and TNT’s NHL debut, are delayed until Monday. … Last Sunday’s Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix averaged a 0.49 rating and 833,000 viewers on ESPN2, the largest audience for the race since it began in 2014. … The premiere of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption documentary averaged 414,000 Tuesday night, trailing the regular edition of the show earlier in the evening (638K). … The NASCAR Truck Series is averaging 602,000 viewers on Fox Sports this season, up 19% from last year (506K) and up 12% from 2019 (539K).
