A new viewership high for the NCAA gymnastics championships, despite an earlier start time. Plus, fewer sampled “KayRod” in week two; the Spieth effect was in full effect at the Heritage; an ignominious streak continues for the NHL on ABC.
NCAA gymnastics championship hits new high despite earlier start
Saturday’s NCAA women’s gymnastics national championship averaged a 0.58 rating and 922,000 viewers on ABC, marking the largest college gymnastics audience on any network since the 2011 national championship on CBS (1.01M). Oklahoma’s win, which peaked with 1.1 million viewers, increased 12% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year’s final on ABC, which aired in a later timeslot.
This year’s national championship moved up to an earlier window to accommodate ABC’s new Saturday afternoon NHL package. The gymnastics outdrew its NHL lead-out by 29% in ratings (0.58 to 0.43) and 15% in viewership (922K to 786K). It also won out in adults 18-49 (254K to 244K).
“KayRod” weaker in second outing
Braves-Padres averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.21 million viewers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball over the weekend, including an audience of 100,000 for the second edition of the Alex Rodriguez-Michael Kay “KayRod” alternate presentation on ESPN2. At eight percent of the total audience, the “KayRod” presentation made up slightly less of the audience than it did the previous week (11%).
Compared to the previous week’s Red Sox-Yankees game, the main broadcast declined 50% (from 2.21M) and “KayRod” declined 62% (from 264K). Versus the same weekend last year, the combined audience declined at least 21% from Braves-Cubs (1.54M, pending revision).
The same Braves-Padres matchup averaged a 0.30 and 545,000 on FS1 Saturday, up 36% and as much as 39% from White Sox-Red Sox last year (0.22, 392K).
Spieth win delivers big numbers for Heritage
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Heritage tournament averaged a 1.9 rating and 3.68 million viewers on CBS Sunday, marking the largest audience for the event since 2003. Jordan Spieth’s win, which peaked with 5.04 million viewers, increased 20% in ratings and 43% in viewership from last year. The previous 19-year mark was 3.46 million for Spieth’s previous win in 2015.
The telecast also delivered the largest PGA Tour audience outside of the Masters this season. The previous high was 3.59 million for the Phoenix Open on Super Bowl Sunday.
The 19-year high for the Heritage came on the same Easter Sunday in which the NBA scored its largest opening round playoff audience in 20 years.
Third round action on Saturday drew a 1.3 and 2.10 million, marking the tournament’s largest third round audience since at least 2013.
NHL on ABC below million mark for seventh-straight week
Wild-Blues averaged a 0.41 rating and 786,000 viewers on ABC Hockey Saturday over the weekend, the network’s seventh-straight game with fewer than one million viewers — the NHL’s longest such streak on broadcast television. NBC had a run of six-straight games under the million mark last year. Versus Penguins-Sabres in the same window on NBC last year, ratings fell 5% (from 0.43) but viewership increased as much as 12% (from 701K*).
As mentioned previously, the game averaged fewer viewers than its gymnastics lead-in.
In other action, ESPN drew a 0.19 and 394,000 for Hurricanes-Red Wings on Sunday afternoon — down from Bruins-Capitals in the same window on TNT the previous week (0.28, 487K).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 4.19]
