Tag: ESPN

“Monday Night Football” Delivers Another Record-Shattering Viewership

Posted on by Danielle Langer





“Monday Night Football” Delivers Another Record-Shattering Viewership, as More Than 19.3 Million Viewers Watch Cowboys-Giants
The audience of more than 19.3 million viewers bested ESPN’s previous “MNF” Week 3 audience high by 11% (17.5 million viewers for Green Bay at Chicago, Sept. 27, 2010).
[via press release from ESPN]
“Monday Night Football” Delivers another Record-Shattering Viewership, as More than 19.3 Million Viewers Watch Cowboys-Giants

· Most-Watched MNF Week 3 Game in ESPN Era and Fourth Most-Watched Monday Game in ESPN Era

· Giants-Cowboys Up 29% Year-Over-Year from Week 3 Dallas Game in 2021

· Follows ESPN’s Record Breaking Week 1 Audience; 2022 Season Has Delivered Two of Four Most-Watched Monday Games in ESPN Era

· Every Week of 2022 Season: MNF Action has Peaked at More than 20 Million Viewers

ESPN’s Monday Night Football has shattered multiple records three weeks into the 2022 season and aired two of its four most-watched Monday games in its 17 year history airing the television franchise (more than 270 games).

Monday Night Football’s Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants presentation (September 26, 8:15 p.m.) generated 19,342,000 viewers (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes), MNF’s best Week 3 audience in the ESPN era (2006 – present) and the fourth best Monday game in the same era. The audience of more than 19.3 million viewers bested ESPN’s previous MNF Week 3 audience high by 11% (17.5 million viewers for Green Bay at Chicago, Sept. 27, 2010). Year-over-year, the Cowboys-Giants audience is up 29% from Week 3 in 2021, which also featured the Cowboys, then hosting the Eagles (15 million viewers on ESPN and ESPN2).

Monday Night Football is Re-Writing the Record Books

The record-setting Monday Night Football Week 3 audience follows its own record-setting Week 1 audience, when 19.85 million viewers for Denver-Seattle drove MNF to its most-watched season opener in network history. That same game is third most-watched Monday game in ESPN’s MNF era.

Factoring in all regular season games of ESPN’s current age of NFL rights (2006 – present), MNF has delivered its fourth and fifth most-watched games of the current rights period this season, as one Saturday game also makes the Top 5.

Rank Date Game Viewership
1 Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 Green Bay at Minnesota 21,839,000
2 Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 New Orleans at New England 21,402,000
3 Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 Dallas at Philadelphia 20,195,000
4 Monday, Sept. 12, 2022 Denver at Seattle 19,845,000
5 Monday, Sept. 26, 2022 Dallas at New York Giants 19,342,000

Surging With Over 20 Million Viewers

In Week 2, the first of its kind ‘two games, one night’ averaged nearly 21 million viewers during the two hours of overlapping action. As a result, Monday Night Football action has peaked with more than 20 million viewers in each of the first three weeks, the first time that feat has been accomplished in Weeks 1-3 during the ESPN era.

Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli Adds to its Most-Watched Alternate Telecast List

In Week 3, Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli drew 1.4 million viewers (ESPN2 and ESPN+), further bolstering the show’s status as ESPN’s most-watched alternate telecast. Through the first two editions this season, the show is averaging 1.46 million viewers, up 15% from the show’s first two episodes last year (Weeks 1 and 2). MNF with Peyton and Eli now holds the ESPN record for the 11 most-watched alternate telecasts.

Additional highlights

· Monday Night Football was the most-watched primetime game in Week 3

· ABC and ESPN were the two most-watched telecasts of the night, winning the night among both broadcast and cable

Monday Night Football Week 4: NFC Championship Rematch – Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers

Monday Night Football will feature an NFC Championship rematch in Week 4, as the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers (October 3, 8 p.m.) face off from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters will have the call on ESPN with Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli returning to ESPN2.

Viewership reported by Nielsen includes streaming audience across ESPN/Disney and NFL digital properties.

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ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” Draws its Second-Largest Audience of Season

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” on September 25 – Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees – Draws its Second-Largest Audience of Season
The game across the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts averaged 2,203,000 viewers prior to the rain delay, peaking with 2,770,000 viewers in the 7:45-8 p.m. ET quarter hour during Aaron Judge’s at bat.
[via press release from ESPN]
ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” on September 25 – Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees – Draws its Second-Largest Audience of Season

Most-Watched September Edition of Sunday Night Baseball Since 2010

Up 47 Percent vs. Last Year’s Comparable Red Sox vs. Yankees Game

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell on September 25 – the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 2-0 – delivered its second-largest audience of the season, according to Nielsen.

The game across the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts averaged 2,203,000 viewers prior to the rain delay, peaking with 2,770,000 viewers in the 7:45-8 p.m. ET quarter hour during Aaron Judge’s at bat.

It is the most-watched September edition of Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell since September 26, 2010 – also a Yankees vs. Red Sox game, which averaged 2,630,000 viewers.

Additionally, viewership was up 47 percent from last year’s comparable Red Sox vs. Yankees game telecast.

The KayRod Cast on ESPN2 contributed an average of 243,000 viewers, making it the third-most watched KayRod Cast of the season.

Viewership for the September 25 game only trails the Red Sox vs. Yankees matchup on April 10, which averaged 2,487,000 viewers.

The season finale of Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell airs October 2, at 7 p.m. as the New York Mets visit the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves in a matchup of significant MLB Wild Card Series implications. The 2022 MLB Wild Card Series airs exclusively on ESPN platforms, beginning Friday, October 7.

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ESPN Films’ “Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War” About Intense 1970s Rivalry to Debut

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ESPN Films’ “Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War” About Intense 1970s Rivalry to Debut September 27 at 9 p.m.
Each club was a tenuous collection of talent and personalities that threatened to combust at any moment, but ultimately managed to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
[via press release from ESPN]
ESPN Films’ “Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War” About Intense 1970s Rivalry to Debut September 27 at 9 p.m.

Film is Narrated by Rob Lowe

ESPN Films’ latest documentary “Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War” will debut Tuesday, September 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. In 1977 and 1978, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers squared off in back-to-back World Series. Each club was a tenuous collection of talent and personalities that threatened to combust at any moment, but ultimately managed to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Produced by Mark Shapiro and Peter Guber in association with FILM45, directed by Fritz Mitchell (“The Legend of Jimmy the Greek,” “Ghosts of Ole Miss”), and narrated by actor Rob Lowe, the documentary tells the story of a rivalry filled with colorful characters, seismic controversies and unforgettable moments. The film will be made available on ESPN+ immediately after its premiere.

“I love baseball and I love heavyweight boxing. I have done movies in all areas, but the chance to do a heavyweight fight in baseball was irresistible,” said Guber. “There was no “crying in baseball”, unless you were the loser in the ’70s of the Dodgers vs. Yankees uncivil war.”

“It was a fun challenge to tell the story of baseball’s most traditional rivalry and to document the Dodgers and Yankees on their inevitable collision course through a two-year period,” added Mitchell. “I’m old enough to remember the summer of 1977, the blackout, the Son of Sam and Reggie Jackson’s three home runs, but I had forgotten about the turmoil of the Yankees and was unfamiliar with the Dodgers clubhouse angst. Both New York and Los Angeles were going through periods of profound change and despair. I found that the troubles of baseball’s free agency era mirrored those of society and the ‘me generation,’ a time that seems eerily similar to today.”

The documentary features extensive interviews with virtually all the living protagonists of the tale, from Reggie Jackson and Steve Garvey to Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Willie Randolph, Ron Cey, Graig Nettles, Steve Yeager, Mickey Rivers, Bucky Dent and Dusty Baker, as well as many of the writers and reporters who covered the teams at the time.

Additional information, including film clips and director statements and bios, are available upon request.

About ESPN Films

ESPN Films has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception in March 2008, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports. The high quality of storytelling, highlighted by the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 series and the Academy-Award winning documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” has led to record viewership as well as multiple honors and critical acclaim. Additional projects from ESPN Films over the years have included 30 for 30 Shorts, Nine for IX, SEC Storied and Emmy award-winning docu-series “The Last Dance.” ESPN+ is the exclusive home for the entire 30 for 30 library.

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Disney Networks Averaged Nearly 21 Million Viewers

Posted on by Danielle Langer





Disney Networks Averaged Nearly 21 Million Viewers During “Monday Night Football’s” Two Hours of Overlapping Action
Fans watched nearly four billion minutes of “Monday Night Football” in Week 2 across the same Disney Networks, which is up from the 3.7 billion minutes watched for ESPN’s most recent “Monday Night Football” doubleheader in 2020.
[via press release from ESPN]
Disney Networks Averaged Nearly 21 Million Viewers during “Monday Night Football’s” Two Hours of Overlapping Action

· Audience During Overlapping Period was Greater than Record-Setting MNF Week 1 Viewership on Same Networks

· Audience Peaked at 22.2 Million Viewers During Overlapping Period

· More Than 3.9 Billion Minutes Watched Across Disney Networks Throughout the Night

· ABC and ESPN – Two Most-Viewed Networks of the Night

During Monday Night Football’s Week 2, Disney Networks averaged 20.6 million viewers (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+) when Tennessee-Buffalo and Minnesota-Philadelphia were shown simultaneously, a two hour period (8:30 – 10:30 p.m. ET). The 20.6 million viewers bested the record-setting Monday Night Football Week 1 audience across the same five networks (19.85 million viewers from 8:14 – 11:18 p.m. on Sept.19) and peaked at 22.2 million viewers from 9:15 – 9:30 pm. The impressive combined viewership mounted despite the Buffalo Bills scoring 31 unanswered points on their way to a lopsided 41-7 victory, and the Eagles jumping out a 24-7 lead during the overlapping period.

Examining closer, fans watched nearly four billion minutes of Monday Night Football in Week 2 across the same Disney Networks, which is up from the 3.7 billion minutes watched for ESPN’s most recent Monday Night Football doubleheader in 2020 (Week 1 with kickoffs at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Additionally, the 3.9 billion minutes watched is up 56% from a standard, standalone Monday Night Football game (approximately 2.6 billion minutes on a weekly basis since 2006).

Individually, ABC and ESPN were the most-viewed networks of the night across all of television, and both games were the most-watched telecasts of the night. Minnesota-Philadelphia averaged 12.9 million viewers (ABC/ESPN+) and Tennessee-Buffalo averaged 7.9 million viewers (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Deportes).

Additional data will be available in the coming days, providing further insight to how viewers navigated the two games. This was the first time ESPN/Disney, in conjunction with the NFL, presented Monday Night Football with scheduled overlapping action.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football features its first of four consecutive divisional showdowns when the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants match up in Week 3 (Sept. 26, 8 p.m.). Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters will call the game on ESPN, ABC and ESPN+. Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli returns on ESPN2.

Viewership reported by Nielsen includes streaming audience across ESPN/Disney and NFL digital properties.

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ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” Nabs Nearly 20 Million Viewers

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” Nabs Nearly 20 Million Viewers in Record-Setting Season Opener
ESPN delivered its most-watched game since 2009 and its third best Monday game in the current era (2006 – present and 270+ games) with 19,845,000 viewers.
[via press release from ESPN]
ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” Nabs Nearly 20 Million Viewers in Record-Setting Season Opener

· Most-Watched Monday Night Football Game Since 2009 and Third-Best in ESPN Era

· Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli Up 86% from 2021 Season Debut

· Sunday NFL Countdown Week 1 Audience Equals Best Since 2016

ESPN’s delivered its most-watched Monday Night Football game since 2009 and its third best Monday game in the current era (2006 – present and 270+ games), as 19,845,000 viewers – across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes – turned in for the Seattle Seahawks’ victory over the Denver Broncos in quarterback Russell Wilson’s return (September 12, 8:15 p.m. ET).

The highly anticipated showdown, which marked the debut of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the Monday Night Football broadcast booth and began Lisa Salters’ 11th season on the franchise’s sideline, was easily ESPN’s most-watched Week 1 game since it began airing Monday Night Football (32 games) and was up 16% from last year’s record-setting Week 1 audience.

Factoring in all regular season games of ESPN’s current era of NFL rights (2006 – present), last night’s game is the fourth best on record:

Rank Date Game Viewership
1 Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 Minnesota at Green Bay 21,839,000
2 Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 New Orleans at New England 21,402,000
3 Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 Dallas at Philadelphia 20,195,000
4 Monday, Sept.12, 2022 Denver at Seattle 19,845,000

Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli garnered 1,502,000 viewers (on ESPN2 and ESPN+), a staggering 86% jump from their season debut last year (805,000 viewers). The alternate presentation adds to its record setting alternate telecast historical viewership, as it now accounts for all 10 of ESPN’s 10 most-watched alternate telecasts (more than 80 since 2014).

Sunday NFL Countdown Generates Significant Audience Increase

Sunday NFL Countdown (Sept. 11, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) registered 1.6 million viewers for its Week 1 edition, matching the 2019 season as the most-watched Kickoff Week episode since 2016. The pre-game show was up 35% from 2021 Week 1 installments.

COMING UP: Monday Night Football – Two Games, One Night in Week 2

Monday Night Football in Week 2 will feature two games in one night, as Disney Networks present more than five hours of consecutive football action across ESPN and ABC. The night begins with Tennessee at Buffalo at 7:15 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN with Minnesota at Philadelphia kicking off at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters will call Vikings-Eagles, while Steve Levy, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge will call Titans-Bills. More on Monday’s coverage plans later this week.

Viewership reported by Nielsen includes streaming audience across ESPN and NFL digital properties.

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US Open Audience Up 50% from 2021, ESPN’s Third Best Ever

Posted on by Danielle Langer





US Open Audience Up 50% from 2021, ESPN’s Third Best Ever
The semifinal between Alcaraz and Tiafoe on Friday, September 9, averaged 2.96 million viewers – peaking at 3.6 million – for the five-plus hour telecast that started at 7 p.m. ET.
[via press release from ESPN]
US Open Audience up 50% from 2021, ESPN’s Third Best Ever

Alcaraz-Tiafoe Semifinal Averages 2.96 Million Viewers:

ESPN’s Best-Ever Semifinal from any Event

The 2022 US Open on ESPN averaged 1.21 million viewers over the two weeks and nearly 168 hours of wall-to-wall live coverage, up 50% from last year and the third-best for ESPN since it gained exclusivity for the last of tennis’ four Majors each year in 2015. The audience was boosted during the first week by the widespread attention to Serena Williams – who was featured three times in prime time plus in a doubles match with her sister Venus – who most believe was playing her final tournament and in the second week by matches with Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff and eventual men’s champion, Carlos Alcaraz. (See individual match viewership notes below.)

The semifinal between Alcaraz and Tiafoe on Friday, Sept. 9, averaged 2.96 million viewers – peaking at 3.6 million – for the five-plus hour telecast that started at 7 p.m. ET. That is up 66% from the equivalent telecast in 2021 and ranks as ESPN’s ninth biggest tennis audience on record. It is also ESPN’s sixth best from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. (coverage began in 2009). It is ESPN’s biggest tennis audience for a match from a Major event that did not include the legends of the last 20+ years – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. Not only is it the only semifinal in ESPN’s top 10 tennis audiences, but when combined with the afternoon semifinal, Casper Ruud over Karen Khachanov, the 2.2 million average audience is the biggest for the penultimate round of any tournament ESPN has televised.

Did You Know?

The 167.7 hours aired is not only ESPN’s most ever from the US Open, but it represents an increase of 27 hours from the scheduled 141 hours – an increase of 19% of “bonus” coverage.

More Notes on Individual US Open Audiences:

Monday, Aug. 29

· ESPN registered its best-ever opening day and opening day prime time audiences (started in 2009).

· The afternoon window on ESPN (noon – 7 p.m.) averaged the second-best ever for opening day, trailing only 2015, the launch of ESPN’s exclusivity and first-ball-to-last-ball coverage (680,000 viewers) with 626,000 viewers, up 44% from 2021.

· ESPN broke its first-day record with 1.7 million viewers for PrimeTime at the US Open presented by IBM (7 p.m. – 12:03 a.m. ET), an increase of 279% – nearly four-fold – over last year and up 40% over the previous high in 2019.

· Combining the afternoon and prime-time windows, the total-day average of 843,000 viewers is ESPN’s best ever for day one, again starting with 2009, and 4% better than the previous best, 809,000 in 2019.

· The audience for Serena Williams vs. Danka Kovinic averaged 2.7 million fans and peaked in the last quarter-hour (9 – 9:15 p.m. ET) at 3.2 million.

Wednesday, Aug. 31

· The entire 5.5-hour prime-time telecast averaged 2.3 million viewers, up 289% over last year’s equivalent telecast. It is ESPN’s most-watched Early Round (Rounds 1-3) telecast in its US Open history and ranks ninth on the list of ESPN’s most-watched US Open telecasts ever (at the time).

· The Serena Williams vs. Anett Kontaveit match averaged 3.6 million viewers and peaked in the last quarter hour (9:30-9:45 p.m.) with five million viewers.

· Williams vs. Kontaveit helped ESPN lead all networks – broadcast or cable – among Men and Adults among 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 in prime time. ESPN ranked as the second most-viewed network among households and P2+.

Thursday, Sept. 1

· ESPN’s most-watched Day Four of the US Open ever (1.0 million viewers).

· ESPN2’s prime-time telecast including the Williams sisters’ doubles match was the third most-viewed Third-Round telecast ever on ESPN networks.

· The entire telecast averaged 1.5 million viewers, up 131% from the same night a year ago. The Williams Sisters’ match averaged 2.2 million.

Friday, Sept. 2

· The Serena Williams vs. Ajla Tomljanovich third-round match was the most-watched tennis telecast on record in ESPN’s 43-year history: an average of 4.6 million viewers (P2+). (The previous record of 3.9 million was for the 2012 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship, when Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray).

· The prime-time telecast was the most viewed telecast of the day for broadcast and cable networks in total viewers and all key male and person demos.

· Focusing on the exact time of the match, it averaged 4.8 million viewers from 7:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET and peaked with 6.9 million viewers in the 10:15 p.m. quarter-hour.

Notes from Week Two:

· Monday afternoon’s upset victory by Frances Tiafoe over Rafael Nadal. earned an average audience of 2.4 million fans, peaking at 3.4 million. The entire 11 a.m. window of nearly eight hours delivered an average audience of 1.7 million viewers, up more than double – 113% – over the same telecast last year.

· Tuesday’s prime-time telecast on ESPN averaged 1.8 million people, 75% higher than the same night in 2021. The Day Nine audience peaked at 2.6 million in the late stages of Coco Gauff dropping a quarterfinal match vs. Garcia.

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ESPN College Football: Week 2 Viewership Up Significantly Year-Over-Year

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ESPN College Football: Week 2 Viewership Up Significantly Year-Over-Year for ABC/ESPN, Multi-Year Growth for “College GameDay”
Tennessee at Pittsburgh delivered a 27.5 rating in the Knoxville market.
[via press release from ESPN]
ESPN College Football: Week 2 Viewership Up Significantly Year-Over-Year for ABC/ESPN, Multi-Year Growth for College GameDay

Top Local Markets for Select ABC and ESPN Games

Tennessee at Pittsburgh: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Rank Market Rating
1 Knoxville 27.5
2 Nashville 14.3
3 Birmingham 12.5
4 Pittsburgh 11.7
5 Memphis 6.0

Kentucky at Florida: 7 p.m., ESPN
Rank Market Rating
1 Jacksonville-N. Brunswk. 11.8
2 Louisville 11.3
3 Birmingham 10.2
4 Knoxville 9.0
5 Orlando 7.7

USC at Stanford: 7:30 p.m., ABC
Rank Market Rating
1 Knoxville 5.4
2 Los Angeles 4.4
3 Nashville 4.1
4 Birmingham 4.1
5 Columbus, OH 3.3

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ESPN Delivers Its Most-Viewed College Football Kickoff Weekend Since 2016

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ESPN Delivers Its Most-Viewed College Football Kickoff Weekend Since 2016 – Notre Dame/Ohio State Scores 10.5 Million Viewers on ABC
ABC and ESPN aired the top five games of Week 1 across P2+ and P18-49 viewers, and the 17 games across Nielsen-measured networks during Labor Day Weekend averaged 2.9 million viewers in Week 1.
[via press release from ESPN]
ESPN Delivers Its Most-Viewed College Football Kickoff Weekend Since 2016 – Notre Dame/Ohio State Scores 10.5 Million Viewers on ABC

ESPN networks registered its best kickoff weekend since 2016 and second best since 2009. Across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, 17 games accounted for nearly 82 percent of all college football viewing this weekend across linear networks. A dozen of those 17 games recorded more than a million viewers and nine were above two million viewers.

ABC and ESPN Score Record Viewership

ABC and ESPN aired the top five games of Week 1 across P2+ and P18-49 viewers, and the 17 games across Nielsen-measured networks during Labor Day Weekend averaged 2.9 million viewers in Week 1. On Saturday, the combined audience across ABC and ESPN in primetime was 13.4 million viewers.

ABC and ESPN each aired their best Kickoff Weekends in six years. ABC’s quartet of games averaged 7.1 million viewers, up 12 percent from 2021 and ABC’s second most-viewed Kickoff Weekend on record behind only 2016. ESPN’s seven games averaged 2.7 million viewers, up 69 percent over 2021.

Primetime Play Produces Powerful Audience Figures

Notre Dame at Ohio State, arguably one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season, recorded 10.5 million viewers on ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One (7:30 p.m. ET), up 16 percent from last year’s Clemson vs. Georgia showdown and becoming the network’s most-viewed regular season game since FSU vs. Alabama (2017). 10.5 million is the second largest audience for a Week 1 Saturday game on record.

Sunday’s Allstate Louisiana Kickoff featuring Florida State and LSU drew 7.6 million viewers, ranking as the third best Opening Week Sunday game on record. Monday’s all-ACC clash between Clemson and Georgia Tech at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff scored 4.9 million viewers, the most-watched weekday game on ESPN in three seasons and up 57 percent over 2021.

Announced earlier in the week, the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh registered 3.15 million viewers, the most-watched ESPN Thursday game since 2017.

GameDay Goes Big and ABC Afternoon Action Shines in Week 1

Saturday also saw viewership victories with both College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and the Chick-fil-A Kickoff featuring defending national champion Georgia and Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon. GameDay notched 2.1 million viewers Saturday morning on ESPN and ESPNU, up 13 percent over 2021 and going down as GameDay’s most-watched pre-November episode since 2016. The afternoon ABC showdown between the Dawgs and the Ducks registered 6.2 million viewers to become Week 1’s most-watched ABC 3:30 p.m. game since 2017.

A Final Week 1 Look – By The Numbers

· Total minutes streamed of live college football games was up nine percent over 2021 in Week 1

· From Thursday to Monday, unique visitors to college football digital content were up 8% and total CFB video starts were up 15% from 2021’s comparable Week 1 period

· 26 million unique visitors consumed college football digital content throughout Week 1

· From noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, approximately 9.5 million viewers were watching college football in the average minute across ESPN platforms, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the ESPN App.

ESPN Networks – Top Ten Most-Viewed Week 1 Matchups

Date Game P2+ Viewers Network
Sat, Sep 3 No. 2 Ohio State def. No. 5 Notre Dame, 21-10 10.5 million ABC
Sun, Sep 4 FSU def. LSU, 24-23 7.6 million ABC
Sat, Sep 3 No. 3 Georgia def. No. 11 Oregon, 49-3 6.2 million ABC
Mon, Sep 5 No. 4 Clemson def. Georgia Tech, 41-10 4.9 million ESPN
Sat, Sep 3 No. 8 Michigan def. Colorado State, 51-7 4 million ABC
Thu, Sep 1 No. 17 Pittsburgh def. West Virginia, 38-31 3.2 million ESPN
Sat, Sep 3 Florida def. No. 7 Utah, 29-26 3 million ESPN
Sat, Sep 3 No. 19 Arkansas def. No. 23 Cincinnati, 31-24 2.9 million ESPN
Sat, Sep 3 No. 13 NC State def. ECU, 21-20 2 million ESPN
Fri, Sep 2 No. 15 Michigan State def. Western Michigan, 35-13 1.3 million ESPN2

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ESPN Films’ Latest 30 for 30 Short “Deerfoot of the Diamond” to Premiere September 27

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ESPN Films’ Latest 30 for 30 Short “Deerfoot of the Diamond” to Premiere September 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET
The documentary, directed by Lance Edmands, chronicles the saga of that name change, which has its roots in a forgotten legend named Louis Sockalexis, and the tragedy that enveloped his story more than a century ago.
[via press release from ESPN]
ESPN Films’ Latest 30 for 30 Short “Deerfoot of the Diamond” to Premiere September 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Film Tells the Story of Native American Baseball Player Louis Sockalexis and His Impact on the Sport

ESPN Films latest 30 for 30 documentary short “Deerfoot of the Diamond” debuts September 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. In late 2021, Cleveland’s baseball team was reborn as the Guardians. The documentary, directed by Lance Edmands, chronicles the saga of that name change, which has its roots in a forgotten legend named Louis Sockalexis, and the tragedy that enveloped his story more than a century ago. The film will be made available on ESPN+ immediately after its premiere, along with the rest of the 30 for 30 library.

After the 2021 season, a new name came to Major League Baseball. To the delight of many, and the consternation of others, Cleveland’s ballclub was now known as the Guardians. The story of the team’s long journey to its new nickname is a tale that encompasses heroism, tragedy, racism, and the complexities of history over more than a century of time. “Deerfoot of the Diamond” juxtaposes a poignant telling of the tragic story of Sockalexis with a revealing history of the controversy over the Indians name, which stretched for decades in Cleveland and beyond, leading up to the ultimate renaming of the franchise before the 2022 season.

“To me, the little-known story of Louis Sockalexis is as fascinating as it is timely,” said Edmands. “Although his phenomenal rookie season was over 100 years ago, he made an outsized impact on baseball and American culture at large. In 2021, the Cleveland team played its final season as the Indians, a name inspired by Sockalexis. But with the change to the Guardians, would he become just a quirky historical footnote, or worse yet, entirely forgotten? Our goal with the film was to preserve his legacy and connect him to the present by telling his tragic story from a new perspective.”

The documentary, which premieres at the Camden International Film Festival September 18, utilizes artful recreation and transcripts of interviews with Sockalexis to tell the story of his legacy. Advance press screeners, additional information, including film clips and director statements and bios, are available upon request. Follow 30 for 30 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ESPN Films

ESPN Films has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception in March 2008, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports. The high quality of storytelling, highlighted by the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 series and the Academy-Award winning documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” has led to record viewership as well as multiple honors and critical acclaim. Additional projects from ESPN Films over the years have included 30 for 30 Shorts, Nine for IX, SEC Storied and Emmy award-winning docu-series “The Last Dance.” ESPN+ is the exclusive home for the entire 30 for 30 library.

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Serena’s Swan Song – ESPN’s Most-Watched Tennis Telecast on Record

Posted on by Danielle Langer





Serena’s Swan Song – ESPN’s Most-Watched Tennis Telecast on Record
An average of 4.6 million viewers (P2+) tuned in for the telecast from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
[via press release from ESPN]
4.8 Million Viewers for Williams vs. Tomljanovich, Peaked at 6.9 Million

Tonight on ESPN: Coco Gauff vs. Caroline Garcia, Nick Kyrgios vs. Karen Khachanov

Wednesday: Noon ET- Pliskova vs. Sabalenka, Rublev vs. Tiafoe

7 p.m. ET- Swiatek vs. Pegula, Sinner vs. Alcaraz

To Subscribe to ESPN+

Friday’s US Open Third Round match on ESPN – apparently the last in the remarkable career of Serena Williams, as she lost to Ajla Tomljanovich of Australia 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 – is the most-watched tennis telecast on record in ESPN’s 43-year history. An average of 4.6 million viewers (P2+) tuned in for the telecast from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The previous record of 3.9 million was for the 2012 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship, when Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray, in ESPN’s first year with exclusivity and first-ball-to-last-ball coverage from London.

The Primetime telecast on ESPN was the best ESPN tennis telecast on record and was the most viewed telecast of the day for broadcast and cable networks in total viewers and all key male and person demos. Serena’s match averaged 4.8 million viewers from 7:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET and peaked with 6.9 million viewers in the 10:15 p.m. quarter-hour.

Through the first five days of the US Open, an average of 1.1. million viewers tuned in to ESPN networks, up +101% versus 2021. These are the most-viewed first five days of the US Open on record on ESPN networks.

On ESPN+, US Open coverage has to date delivered 622,000 unique viewers and 58.6 million minutes, up +65% and +72% versus 2021 through Day 5.

Other US Open Viewership Highlights

Day Four

· ESPN2’s Primetime coverage of the Williams sisters’ doubles match was the third most-viewed Third Round telecast ever on ESPN networks

· The match averaged 2.2 million viewers

Day Three

· On Wednesday, Aug. 31, Williams’ second-round victory over Anett Kontaveit averaged 3.6 million viewers and peaked with five million.

· The entire prime-time telecast averaged 2.3 million, up 289% from last year and is No. 10 on the list of ESPN’s most-watched US Open telecasts of all time.

· That night, ESPN led all networks – broadcast or cable – in delivering both Men and Adults in the demo groups 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. The network placed second for households and P2+.

· That day’s entire 12.5 hours of matches averaged 1.4 million people, the largest for any ESPN US Open early round (Rounds 1-3) telecast.

Opening Day

· Monday, Aug. 29, was ESPN’s most-watched opening-day and opening day prime-time US Open telecast ever. The evening doubleheader averaged 1.7 million, up 279% from 2021 and 40% higher than the previous high in 2019. The first match in that window, Williams defeating Danka Kovinic in the first round, averaged 2.7 million fans.

· The audience that day for the entire 12 hours of coverage was ESPN’s largest for a US Open opening day, an average of 843,000 viewers.

Quarterfinals

Tonight on ESPN:

· 7 p.m.: No. 12 Coco Gauff vs. No. 17 Caroline Garcia

· Followed by No. 23 Nick Kyrgios – who bounced No. 1 seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev on Sunday – vs. No. 27 Karen Khachanov

Wednesday on ESPN:

· Noon ET: No. 22 Karolina Pliskova vs. No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka

· Then No. 9 Andrey Rublev vs. No. 22 Frances Tiafoe of Maryland, who eliminated No. 2 Rafael Nadal on Monday

· 7 p.m.: No. 1 Iga Swiatek vs. American No. 8 Jessica Pegula

· Followed by No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 11 Jannik Sinner

2022 US Open Programming

Date Time (ET) Network(s) Event

Mon Aug 29 – Thurs Sept 8 11 a.m. ESPN+, ESPN3 Up to 16 courts in action

Friday Sept 9, Sunday Sept 11 Noon ESPN+, ESPN3 Up to 8 courts in action

Tue Sept 6 7 p.m. ESPN Primetime at the US Open presented by IBM – Quarterfinals

Wed Sept 7 Noon ESPN ESPN Deportes Quarterfinals 7 p.m. ESPN Primetime at the US Open presented by IBM – Quarterfinals ESPN Deportes Quarterfinals

Thu Sept 8 7 p.m. ESPN Women’s Semifinals Coverage presented by Fidelity Wealth Management ESPN Deportes Women’s Semifinals

Fri Sept 9 3 a.m. ESPN2 Women’s Semifinals (Encore) Noon Men’s Doubles Championship 3 p.m. ESPN Men’s Semifinals Coverage presented by Fidelity Wealth Management 7 p.m. ESPN Deportes Men’s Semifinals

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