Ratings: Soccer, racing, WNBA and more

Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game averaged a combined 1.53 million viewers across ESPN (334K) and the Univision family of networks (1.20M), down slightly from last year on FS1 and the Univision networks (~1.58M, pending revision). The ESPN audience jumped 86% from last year on FS1 (180K) to rank as the largest for English-language coverage of the event in four years (2018: 463K).

The MLS All-Star Game averaged a larger audience than this year’s NHL All-Star Game on ABC, which averaged 1.15 million on a Saturday afternoon.

In other soccer action, last Friday’s English Premier League season opener (Crystal Palace-Arsenal) averaged a 0.26 rating and 471,000 viewers on USA Network, the latter figure rising to 526,000 including additional streaming data not tracked by Nielsen — the largest season-opening audience since Manchester United-Tottenham on NBCSN in 2015 (651K).

With no matches on the NBC broadcast network, the most-watched opening weekend match was Chelsea-Everton on USA last Saturday at a 0.33 and 629,000.

Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Michigan averaged a 1.5 rating and 2.62 million viewers on USA Network, flat in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (1.5, 2.5M) and the second-largest Cup Series audience on cable this season. Atlanta turned in 2.63 million last month. The corresponding Xfinity Series race drew a 0.6 (+13%) and 1.00 million (+8%).

In other racing action, IndyCar races are averaging 1.46 million viewers across NBC’s TV and digital platforms this season, the highest 13-race average since 2008, the last year coverage aired fully on ESPN/ABC (1.89M). Figures for last weekend’s Nashville race on NBC were not immediately available, but CNBC turned in 121,000 for simulcast coverage.

Last Sunday’s Aces-Storm WNBA game, which marked the final regular season home game in the career of Sue Bird, averaged a 0.50 rating and 762,000 viewers on ABC — trailing only Storm-Sky last August (775K) as the most-watched WNBA regular season game in more than a decade (2012 Mercury-Lynx: 804K). The Sun-Sky lead-in averaged a 0.40 and 599,000.

Entering the final weekend of play, ESPN/ABC is averaging 351,000 viewers for WNBA coverage this season — up 13% from last year.

Thursday’s Giants-Patriots NFL preseason game averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.51 million viewers on NFL Network, down double-digits from Washington-New England in the same slot last year (1.0, ~1.75M, pending revision). … Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Wyndham Championship averaged a 1.2 and 1.88 million on CBS last Sunday, up a tick in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year, but down 25% and 22% respectively from two years ago (1.6, 2.42M). Third round coverage the previous day was flat in ratings (0.8) and down slightly in viewership (to 1.24M). … Coverage of the Women’s British Open averaged 362,000 viewers across NBC and USA Network, up 59% from last year (228K) and a four-year high. NBC averaged a 0.49 and 729,000 last Saturday and a 0.7 and 1.09 million last Sunday.