ESPN Ratings

ESPN & ABC's NBA Playoffs Opening Saturday Ratings Highest in Five Years




ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, April 14.

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[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN & ABC's NBA Playoffs Opening Saturday Ratings Highest In Five Years

· Quadruple-header Up 17 Percent From 2017; All Four of Saturday's First Round Game 1 Telecasts Up From Corresponding Games Last Year

· Philadelphia-Miami Telecast is Highest-Rated Opening Saturday Game on ESPN in Six Years

ESPN and ABC's NBA Playoffs opening Saturday coverage was up 17 percent, making it the highest-rated opening Saturday in five years (since 2013), according to metered market ratings from Nielsen. The four-game slate averaged a 2.7 metered market rating and all four telecasts were up year over year from their corresponding windows.

The Philadelphia 76ers victory over the Miami Heat drew a 2.9 metered market rating, up 26 percent from last year's San Antonio Spurs-Memphis Grizzlies game. The Sixers-Heat telecast is the highest-rated opening Saturday game on ESPN in six years (since 2012).

On ABC, the Golden State Warriors win over the Spurs drew a 3.3 metered market rating, up 14 percent from last year's Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers matchup that drew a 2.9.

The Toronto Raptors Game 1 victory over the Washington Wizards delivered a 2.1 metered market rating, up 17 percent from the Raptors-Bucks game last year that drew a 1.8. In Saturday's nightcap, the New Orleans Pelicans Game 1 win over the Portland Trail Blazers generated a 2.3 metered market rating, up 10 percent from the LA Clippers-Utah Jazz game last year (2.1).

The NBA Playoffs continue today on ABC as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers in their first round Game 1 matchup. The broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m. ET with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters calling their second game of the weekend.

Additionally, the second edition of Kobe Bryant's Detail, exclusively on ESPN+, will be available as early as Sunday night. It features the five-time NBA Champion Bryant providing high-level analysis of Saturday's Raptors game, from the standpoint of Raptors star DeMar DeRozan.

ESPN and ABC's NBA audience was up across platforms for the 2017-18 regular season.

Read more at http://thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2018/04/15/espn-and-abcs-nba-playoffs-opening-saturday-ratings-highest-in-five-years-997500/20180415espn01/#RIJqdwrBlF2XOxX2.99

College Football Playoff National Championship Scores More than 25.5 Million Viewers, Up from Last Year ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, January 13. [via press release from ESPN] College Football Playoff National Championship Scores More than 25.5 Million Viewers, Up from Last Year · No. 1 LSU vs. No. 3 Clemson Delivers Cable's Best Audience in More than Two Years · CFP Games Now Account for Eight of Cable's 10 Largest Audiences Ever · Three-Game College Football Playoff Now Up 4% Year-Over-Year The 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship (Jan. 13, 8 p.m. ET) viewership surpassed last year's CFP National Championship initial audience and all other cable programming since January of 2018, as No. 1 LSU vs. No. 3 Clemson delivered cable's best viewership in more than two years. ESPN's MegaCast presentation of LSU's victory delivered an initial audience of 25,588,000 viewers, surpassing ESPN's MegaCast audience for Clemson's win in the CFP National Championship last season by 308,000 viewers (1%). Last year's initial Nielsen audience was 25,280,000 viewers. The LSU vs Clemson audience also resulted in cable's best viewership - across all programming, sports and otherwise - since the Alabama-Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship (Jan. 8, 2018). ESPN's MegaCast audience peaked at 29,200,000 viewers, after LSU took the lead for the first time late in the second quarter (9:45-10 p.m.). The LSU Tigers would never trail again in the game. ESPN's Main Telecast Also Up Year-Over-Year Solely on ESPN, the primary telecast of LSU-Clemson delivered an audience of 25,004,000 viewers, up 3% from the same presentation of the CFP National Championship last season (24,322,000 viewers). LSU-Clemson a Top 10 Cable Audience Ever; CFP Games Dominates Cable's Most-Watched List Already, without full streaming data reported, LSU-Clemson is one of cable's Top 10 biggest audiences. CFP games, inclusive of the Semifinals, now account for eight of cable's top 10 audiences. LSU-Clemson on Pace to Surpass All Three Alabama-Clemson CFP National Championship Audiences LSU-Clemson's MegaCast audience is on pace to surpass the audiences for all three Clemson-Alabama CFP National Championship matchups once this season's full Nielsen data is reported. As a result, LSU-Clemson is likely to finish as the third most-watched CFP National Championship. Full streaming audiences will be available next week, and out of home viewing, in a few weeks. Three-Game College Football Playoff Now Up 4% Year-Over-Year This year's College Football Playoff averaged 21,646,000 viewers across the three games, up 4% from last season and surpassing the three-game CFP averages in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, both years where the Semifinals were played outside of New Year's Day. Full streaming audiences will be available next week, and out of home viewing, in a few weeks. Please note: Individual market data for New Orleans and Greenville, S.C., will be available in the next 24 hours. ESPN's MegaCast Presentation offered multiple productions for the game; however, only ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS' audiences are represented in this release. ESPN Deportes is Nielsen-rated, but data is not currently available and won't be used in final audience total. ESPN Classic, Goal Line, ACC Network and SEC Network are not Nielsen rated. As a result, their audiences are not accounted for in this release. Additionally, streaming-only feeds on ESPN App are not accounted for either. ESPN Tops Cable Networks in Key Demos in 2019 ESPN further spins the numbers for the year to date. [via press release from ESPN] ESPN Tops Cable Networks in Key Demos in 2019 Two Decades atop Delivery of Valuable Male Audience SportsCenter, Other Studio Shows Lead Competition; Morning Shows Sparked by Football News In 2019, fourth quarter and in December, ESPN maintained its leadership position among cable networks in delivering the valuable young male audience. For 2019 (December 31, 2018 - December 29, 2019): · ESPN aired cable's biggest 10 audiences and 13 of the top 14. · In Total Day, ESPN ranked as the #1 full-time cable network among Men and Adults 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54. This marks the sixth straight year that ESPN has claimed the top spot for all six of those demos, and the 14th straight year of being #1 among the three male demos. Among total viewers, ESPN ranked third, behind only FOXNC and MSNBC. · In prime time, for the sixth straight year, ESPN led cable among Men and Adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. This marks the 18th consecutive year ESPN has been #1 among those male demos. · In addition, in 2019 ESPN "won the night" among all networks - broadcast and cable - 47 times. In another 23 instances, ABC won the night with sports programmed and produced by ESPN. · Throughout the year, many events enjoyed audience increases. Starting with the NFL Wild Card Game, other events seeing an increase this year included men's and women's regular-season college basketball, the women's Final Four, all three of ESPN's Grand Slam tennis events (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open), the NFL Draft, the NBA Draft Lottery, the NCAA Softball Tournament, MLB Sunday Night Baseball, Formula One, WNBA, MLS, college football and Monday Night Football. For the fourth quarter of 2019 (September 30 - December 29): In total day: · ESPN was the #1 cable network among Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 for at least a 20th straight year. In prime time: · ESPN led all cable networks among the key adult and male demos - 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, as well as Men 18+ and has done so in each year for at least 20 years. · ESPN led cable among total viewers and Adults 18+ for the 19th year out of 20. The quarter also was the 26th consecutive in which ESPN has been the No. 1 full-time cable network in total day among Men18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 (starting in Q3 2013). Looking at the streak in terms of years, ESPN has been No. 1 for 14 straight (since 2006) and 18 consecutive in prime time (since 2002). For the month of December (November 25 - December 29): In total day: · ESPN was up 1% among total viewers (P2+). · ESPN was the #1 cable network among Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 for at least a 20th straight year. In prime time: · ESPN was up 5% among total viewers. · Thanks to the College Football Playoff Semifinals and Monday Night Football, ESPN led all networks in prime time for the week of December 23-29. · ESPN led all cable networks among the key adult and male demos - 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, as well as Men 18+ and has done so in each year for at least 20 years. Football Drives Increases for Morning Studio Shows (all increases are among P2+): During the football season (Sept. 5 - Dec. 27, 2019 vs. Sept. 6 - Dec. 28, 2018), ESPN's trio of morning news shows were all up, a positive sign for the upcoming College Football Playoff National Championship and the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl. The 7 a.m. SportsCenter was up 3% (356,000 vs. 347,000), Get Up was up 10% (404,000 vs. 367,000) and First Take was up 2% (488,000 vs. 480,000). All three shows will have a live presence at the College Football Playoff National Championship and at the Super Bowl. Other studio show results: · Monday Night Countdown was up 13% for the year (to 1,423,000). · Sunday NFL Countdown was up 8% for the year (to 1,328,000). · College GameDay was up 3% for the year (to 1,956,000). · The 7 a.m. ET SportsCenter was up 2% for the month of December and 3% for the year. · Get Up increased for the 10th straight month, gaining 17% (432,000 vs. 369,000). · First Take was up 12% in December and 2% in fourth quarter. · PTI saw a gain of 3% in December (849,000 vs. 828,000) climbing for eight of the last nine months. The show also ended up 3% for the quarter (822,000 vs. 795,000) and for the year (758,000 vs. 736,000). · Driven by the late night editions of SportsCenter, not only is ESPN is the #1 network (cable or broadcast) from 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. across all key male (18-34, 18-49 and 25-54), but it is also the leading network - cable or broadcast - with adults 18-34. · Driven by SportsCenter, ESPN is the #1 cable network on the weekend from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. across all key male demos (18-34, 18-49 and 25-54) and all key person demos (18-34, 18-49 and 25-54). Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual Generates Audience North of 16.3 Million Viewers ESPN spins the numbers for Wednesday, January 1. [via press release from ESPN] Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual Generates Audience North of 16.3 Million Viewers; Second Most-Watched Non-Semifinal New Year's Six Game of the College Football Playoff Era · Georgia-Baylor Delivers Allstate Sugar Bowl's Second Highest Non-Semifinal Audience of the College Football Playoff Era · Vrbo Citrus Bowl Audience Surpasses 14 Million Viewers on ABC, Network's Most-Watched Bowl Game Since 2010 National Championship · College Football Playoff Semifinals are Officially Most-Watched Non-New Year's Day Semifinals The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual featuring Oregon vs. Wisconsin (January 1 at 5 p.m. ET) generated a multi-network audience of 16,304,000 viewers, the second most-watched non-Semifinal New Year's Six game in the College Football Playoff era (24 games). The audience for the Ducks' victory surpasses the 2017 Rose Bowl between Penn State and USC (15,740,000 viewers) to earn the distinction. The Rose Bowl audience peaked at nearly 20 million viewers late in the fourth quarter (8:30-8:45 p.m.). The Ducks-Badgers' Rose Bowl audience is within 4% of last season's Ohio State-Washington Rose Bowl Game audience, which is the most-watched non-Semifinal New Year's Six matchup. The Buckeyes-Huskies' audience includes full streaming data, while only partial streaming data for the Ducks-Badgers matchup is currently available. Full data for this season's game will be available later next week. In continuing the trend, the Allstate Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Baylor (January 1 at 8:45 p.m.) recorded an audience of 10,224,000 viewers, out delivering the 2017 Sugar Bowl (Oklahoma vs. Auburn) to become the second most-watched non-Semifinal Sugar Bowl of the College Football Playoff era. This season's Rose Bowl audience was more than 20% higher than the 2016 Rose Bowl game (Stanford vs. Iowa) and the Sugar Bowl viewership was 14% higher than the 2016 Sugar Bowl (Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss). ABC Airs Citrus Bowl's Best Audience Since 2008;Top Four Audience for the Game Since at Least 1991 ABC aired its most-watched bowl game since the 2010 National Championship as the Vrbo Citrus Bowl, between Michigan and Alabama (January 1 at 1 p.m.) generated an audience of 14,003,000 viewers. Among Citrus Bowls all-time, the audience for the Alabama win was the bowl's fourth-highest audience dating back to at least the 1991 season and its best since the 2008 season (Florida vs. Michigan - 14,780,000 viewers). College Football Playoff Semifinals are Officially Most-Watched Non-New Year's Day College Football Playoff Semifinals Now with complete streaming data reported, the College Football Playoff Semifinals average jumps to 19.6 million viewers (from 19.3 million), officially the most-watched CFP Semifinals for the four seasons the games were played outside of New Year's Day. Year-over-year, the CFP Semifinals are now up 8% (from 6%). ESPN's Networks Surpassing Five Million Viewers Per Bowl Game Accounting for 30 bowl games this year -- inclusive of the entire New Year's Six and all games through January 1 -- ESPN's networks are averaging 5,028,000 viewers per game - on par through a similar slate of games last season. Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl were aired on ESPN and ESPN2, as they were last season. Combined viewership is reflected in the release for both years. Ohio State vs. Clemson Draws 21.2 Million Viewers, Most-Watched Non-New Year's Day College Football Playoff Semifinal and Up 9% Year-Over-Year ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, December 28. [via press release from ESPN] Ohio State vs. Clemson Draws 21.2 Million Viewers, Most-Watched Non-New Year's Day College Football Playoff Semifinal and Up 9% Year-Over-Year · LSU-Oklahoma CFP Semifinal Generates More than 17.2 Million Viewers, Also Up Year-Over-Year · CFP Semifinals Average 19.3 Million Viewers, Up 6% Year-Over-Year · ESPN's CFP Telecasts Account for Three Most-Watched Cable Productions of 2019; ESPN has Top Nine ESPN's MegaCast presentation of the College Football Playoff reached new heights, as Ohio State vs. Clemson (December 28, at 8 p.m. ET) in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl drew 21.2 million viewers, resulting in the most-watched CFP Semifinal not played on New Year's Day (eight games) and up 9% from last year's similarly scheduled CFP game. LSU and Oklahoma (December 28, at 4 p.m. ET), generated more than 17.2 million viewers in the CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, also an increase from last year's similarly scheduled CFP Semifinal. Combined, the College Football Playoff Semifinals averaged 19.3 million viewers, generating 6% growth year-over-year, and are set to be the most-watched pair of CFP Semifinals for the four seasons the games were played outside of New Year's Day. In addition to audience increases from last season, yesterday's CFP Semifinals join last season's CFP National Championship (January 7, 2019) as cable's three most-watched telecasts of calendar year 2019. Buckeyes-Tigers Audience Sets New Fiesta Bowl, CFP Semifinal Audience Record The Buckeyes-Tigers showdown delivered a MegaCast audience of 21,151,000 viewers, surpassing last season's Alabama-Oklahoma CFP Semifinal (Dec. 29, 2018, 8 p.m.) as the most-watched non-New Year's Day CFP Semifinal. The audience for the Tigers' victory is also up 10% from when the Fiesta Bowl previously hosted a CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31, 2015), which also featured Clemson and Ohio State on a Saturday evening. LSU-Oklahoma Audience Peaks in First Half as Tigers Set Largest Halftime Lead in CFP History The Tigers-Sooners matchup finished with a MegaCast audience of 17,214,000 viewers, up from last year's similarly-schedule Clemson-Notre Dame CFP Semifinal (Dec. 29, 2018, 4 p.m.). The audience for the LSU victory peaked at 18.9 million viewers in the first half (5:15-5:30 p.m.), as the Tigers jumped out to a 28-7 lead with more than 12 minutes remaining in the first half. LSU would extend the lead to 35 points (49-14) going into halftime, setting a new record for largest halftime lead in CFP history. CFP Semifinals Up 13% from Last Time Peach and Fiesta Hosted; Set to be Most-Watched Non-New Year's Day Semifinals on Record The College Football Playoff Semifinals averaged 19,285,000 viewers across both games, which, in addition to being up year-over year and up 13% from last time the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl hosted the CFP Semifinals (2015 season), will soon be the most-watched non-New Year's Day Semifinals once full audiences are in. ESPN Dominates Most-Watched Cable List of 2019 With the three CFP games leading the way, ESPN now has the nine most-watched cable presentations of the year, which includes last season's Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual, the CFP National Championship pre-game show, and four Monday Night Football telecasts. Extended further, ESPN has 12 of the 13 most-watched cable presentations. ESPN Begins New Year's Six Up Year-Over Year Through the first three games of the New Year's Six (CFP Semifinals + Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic), ESPN averaged 14,845,000 viewers, also up from last year's similar scheduling format (tripleheader, including both CFP Semifinals). The Cotton Bowl between Memphis and Penn State (Dec. 28, noon) delivered 6,220,000 viewers, up 14% from the only other time the Cotton Bowl featured a Group of Five team in the New Year's Six era (Jan. 2, 2017). ESPN's Digital Pregame Show Reaches Millions ESPN's digital College Football Show (3-4 p.m.) reached 2,490,000 viewers Saturday across the ESPN App, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The audience was an increase of 497% from last year when it streamed only on Twitter. On that social media platform alone, the audience increased 158%. Please Note: College Football Playoff Semifinals were played on New Year's Day for the 2014 and 2017 season. The Semifinals were not on New Year's Day for the 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 seasons. Viewership includes all Nielsen-rated MegaCast feeds: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS. Not included are ACC Network, SEC Network, ESPN Deportes and digital programming. ESPN's "Monday Night Football" Scores Its Most-Viewed NFL Regular Season Since 2015 ESPN further spins the numbers for the season to date. [via press release from ESPN] ESPN's "Monday Night Football" Scores Its Most-Viewed NFL Regular Season Since 2015 · MNF Averages 12,569,000 Viewers in 2019 - Up Eight Percent for the Second Straight Year · MNF is Cable's Most-Watched Series for the Third Consecutive Year · ESPN Deportes Records Its Most-Watched MNF Season ESPN's Monday Night Football scored its most-viewed regular season since 2015, finishing the 17-game NFL schedule in 2019 with 12,569,000 viewers - up eight percent year-over-year (11,654,000 in 2018). MNF has now posted consecutive seasons with eight percent viewership gains and is up an impressive 17 percent overall versus 2017 (10,788,000). MNF also ranks as cable's most-watched series for the third straight year. The Spanish-language presentation of MNF on ESPN Deportes recorded its most-watched MNF season ever in 2019, averaging 102,000 viewers, a 21 percent increase over 2018 (84,000). ESPN Deportes' Cowboys-Giants telecast on Nov. 4 averaged 165,000 viewers, the network's second most-watched MNF game ever. Monday Night Countdown, ESPN's weekly MNF pregame show, averaged 1,423,000 viewers in 2019, a 13 percent increase from 2018. 2019 MNF Season Highlights: · ESPN's most-watched MNF season since 2015 · MNF is the most-watched series on cable for the third straight year. · MNF accounted for 16 of the top 20 most-watched telecasts on cable in 2019 (Live + Same Day, excluding telecasts less than 15 minutes). · MNF was the most-watched telecast on all 16 Mondays in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos. · MNF helped ESPN win the night all 16 Mondays this season among all networks in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54). · MNF's most-watched game of the season was Seahawks-49ers on Nov. 11 with 16,734,000 viewers - the most-watched MNF game since Lions-Cowboys in Dec. 2016. · MNF's top-10 metered markets in 2019: New Orleans (15.8), San Diego (11.5), Richmond (10.7), Las Vegas (10.5), Denver (10.5), Buffalo (10.4), Seattle-Tacoma (10.3), Kansas City (10.3), Albuquerque (10.1) and Cleveland (9.9). · ESPN's MNF debuted a new commentator team in 2019, featuring Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland in the booth with NFL officiating analyst John Parry and reporter Lisa Salters. Packers-Vikings Season Finale Draws 13,657,000 Million Viewers - Up 55 Percent ESPN's 2019 Monday Night Football regular-season finale - a Green Bay Packers' 23-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings (on Dec. 23) - averaged 13,657,000 viewers on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen - a 55 percent increase over MNF's 2018 finale (8,789,000 viewers, Broncos-Raiders). Packers-Vikings helped ESPN win the night among all networks, broadcast or cable, in households, viewers and key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49 and 25-54). MNF was also the highest-rated telecast of the night across all broadcast and cable networks among the same demos. On ESPN, Packers-Vikings averaged 13,566,000 viewers, an increase of 56 percent vs. Week 16 last year. The audience peaked from 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET with 15,046,000 viewers. ESPN Deportes added 91,000 viewers, an increase of nine percent vs. Week 16 last year. In Milwaukee/Green Bay, the game delivered a 16.4 rating on ESPN and a 31.7 on WLUK-FOX and WISN-ABC for a combined 48.1 rating. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, the game delivered a 12.8 rating on ESPN and 31.9 on WCCO-CBS for a combined 44.7 rating. ESPN's MNF Team to Call an NFL Wild Card Playoff Game and the 2020 Pro Bowl: ESPN's MNF team will call an NFL Wild Card playoff game (January 4 or 5, 2020), as well as the 2020 Pro Bowl in Orlando (January 26). Colts-Saints "Monday Night Football" Delivers 11.1 Million Viewers ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, December 16. [via press release from ESPN] Colts-Saints "Monday Night Football" Delivers 11.1 Million Viewers · ESPN Wins the Night for the 15th Straight Monday · MNF is Up Six Percent Season to Date on ESPN; 20 Percent on ESPN Deportes Last night's Monday Night Football game - a New Orleans Saints 34-7 home victory over the Indianapolis Colts - averaged 11,134,000 viewers on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen. In the game, Saints quarterback Drew Brees made history, breaking Peyton Manning's career touchdown record. The telecast helped ESPN win the night among all networks, broadcast or cable, in households, viewers and key male and people demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54). MNF was also the highest-rated telecast of the night across all broadcast and cable networks among the same key male and people demos. ESPN has now won the night all 15 Mondays since the start of the NFL season, while MNF has been the No. 1 telecast those same weeks. On ESPN, Colts-Saints averaged 11,057,000 viewers. The audience peaked from 9:00-9:15 p.m. ET with 12,608,000 viewers. ESPN Deportes added 77,000 viewers. Local markets: · Indianapolis: The game delivered a 9.8 rating on ESPN and an 8.6 rating on WRTV-ABC for a combined 18.4 rating. · New Orleans' overnight data is not yet available as it is one of the 12 Nielsen local markets on a two-day delay. The top 10 markets: Kansas City (9.8), Seattle-Tacoma (9.4), San Diego (8.9), Cleveland (8.8), Las Vegas (8.6), Denver (8.5), Houston and West Palm Beach (8.4), Austin (8.2) and Jacksonville (8.1). Through 16 games, MNF's average audience of 12,489,000 viewers is up six percent season-to-date (vs. 11,833,000 in 2018). ESPN Deportes' MNF average audience of 102,000 viewers is up 20 percent season-to-date (vs. 85,000 in 2018). Next Week: Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers visit Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings in a matchup of the top-two teams in the NFC North Division at Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium on ESPN's Monday Night Football (Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. ET).  ABC Airs Most-Watched Pac-12 Championship Since 2014 ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, December 6. [via press release from ESPN] ABC Airs Most-Watched Pac-12 Championship Since 2014 · Up 44% from the 2018 Pac-12 Championship · ESPN Network's Best Audience for a Pac-12 Championship ABC's first telecast of the Pac-12 Championship, which featured Utah and Oregon (Friday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m.), was the conference's most-watched championship game since 2014 and the annual game's second best audience in its nine year history. ABC's presentation averaged 5,856,000 viewers for the Ducks' 37-15 victory, up 44% from last year's Pac-12 Championship and the most-watched Pac-12 Championship on an ESPN network (2013, '15, '17). Seven More Conference Championship Games Today ESPN's conference championship action has already resumed, with the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship between Baylor and Oklahoma on ABC, the Sun Belt Championship between Louisiana at Appalachian State on ESPN and Marathon MAC Championship between Miami (Ohio) and Central Michigan on ESPN2. Four more conference championship games will air later today, including the ACC Championship between Virginia and Clemson. Full details here. Exclusive Reveal of College Football Playoff and New Year's Six Highlights ESPN's Extensive Selection Day Coverage ESPN's industry-leading regular season and exclusive multi-platform coverage of the College Football Playoff intersect during the sport's Selection Day on Sunday, Dec. 8. With nearly 20 hours of programming dedicated to the signature event, coverage will hit its apex with the College Football Playoff Selection Show Presented by AT&T at noon ET. During the four-hour show, the four College Football Playoff teams, the CFP committee's final rankings and all the matchups of the New Year's Six will be revealed. Both preceding and following the marquee show will be prognosis and reaction across a multitude of television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, the ESPN App and Twitter. College Football Kickoff Weekend: Houston-Oklahoma Becomes Second Highest-Rated Game of the Week; ABC has Aired Top 3 Highest-Rated Games ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, September 1. [via press release from ESPN] College Football Kickoff Weekend: Houston-Oklahoma Becomes Second Highest-Rated Game of the Week; ABC has Aired Top 3 Highest-Rated Games ABC has now televised the three highest-rated games of the College Football Kickoff Weekend, as the network's Sunday presentation of Houston-Oklahoma (7:30 p.m. ET) surpassed Saturday's ESPN CFB150 Showcase Game between Duke-Alabama (3:30 p.m.) to become the second highest-rated game of the week. The rating for the Cougars-Sooners matchup, which saw Oklahoma jump out to a 21-0 first half lead on their way to a 49-31 victory, trails only ABC Saturday Night Football's Oregon-Auburn matchup (7:30 p.m.), which remains the highest-rated game of the weekend. ABC's Sunday showdown delivered a 3.6 overnight, peaking at a 4.2 late in the first half (9-9:15 p.m.). Oklahoma City was the No. 1 market, earning 28.0 local rating. Tulsa (25.9), Birmingham (18.7), West Palm Beach (7.7) and Houston (7.5) round out the top five markets. Rank Game Rating Network 1 Oregon-Auburn 4.4 ABC 2 Houston-Oklahoma 3.6 ABC 3 Duke-Alabama 3.1 ABC ESPN's five-day Kickoff Weekend slate concludes with the annual Labor Day Night special, featuring No. 9 Notre Dame at Louisville (8 p.m. on ESPN). ESPN and ABC Televise Four Highest-Rated Games of College Football's Kickoff Weekend; ESPN Networks Finish Five-Day Slate Up 31% · ABC's Saturday Night Football Sets the Pace among all Networks · ESPN Airs Top 10 Highest-Rated Games on Cable this Season ESPN and ABC aired the four highest-rated games during college football's Kickoff Weekend across all networks and, combined with ESPNEWS and ESPNU, delivered a 31% ratings increase over last season's similar Kickoff Weekend. The five-day slate's success was evident among many individual game windows, including the season premiere of ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Oregon-Auburn, which delivered the sport's highest rating of the weekend and was up 63% year-over-year. ABC and ESPN: Top Five Highest-Rated Games of the Season Kickoff Weekend continued ESPN's fast start to the season, which began when ESPN televised Miami-Florida in Week 0 (Aug. 24) and delivered the network's highest-rated college football game since 2016. Inclusive of that game, ESPN and ABC have aired the five highest-rated games of the season and ESPN's networks, overall, have 15 of top 17. Rank Game Rating Network Date 1 Oregon-Auburn 4.4 ABC Sat, Aug. 31 2 Miami-Florida 4.1 ESPN Sat, Aug. 24 3 Notre Dame-Louisville 3.7 ESPN Mon, Sept. 2 4 Houston-Oklahoma 3.6 ABC Sun, Sept. 1 5 Duke-Alabama 3.1 ABC Sat, Aug. 31 Notre Dame-Louisville Concludes Weekend with Another Top-Rated Game; Adds to ESPN's Cable Supremacy ESPN's Labor Day telecast featuring Notre Dame at Louisville (8 p.m. ET) delivered a 3.7 overnight, making it the second highest-rated game of Kickoff Weekend across any network and the third highest-rated game of the season. With the Week 0 and Labor Day overnight ratings leading the way, ESPN and ESPNEWS have combined to air the top 11 highest-rated games on cable through Kickoff Weekend. Additional Irish-Cardinals highlights: · The 3.7 rating was in line with last season's Labor Day telecast featuring Virginia Tech-Florida State (3.8 overnight). · The overnight peaked throughout the first half, consistently landing at a 4.4 from 9 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. before the Irish took a 21-14 lead and never trailed again. · Louisville was the No. 1 local market, earning a 16.6 local rating. The remaining top markets: Rank Market Rating 1 Louisville 16.6 2 Birmingham 11.2 3 New Orleans 7.3 4 Indianapolis 7.0 5 Jacksonville 6.8 Additional Kickoff Week Highlights · Besting the Competition: ESPN's networks had the highest-rated game in nearly every game window: · Thursday: Two highest-rated games on August 29 · Friday: Two highest-rated games on August 30 · Saturday: Highest-rated late afternoon and top three highest-rated night games on August 31 · Starting Saturday Strong: · ESPN's networks, cumulatively, were the highest-rated networks among any media company in the noon game window on Saturday, Aug. 31. In that window, ESPN's networks combined to deliver a 3.4 overnight across its four games. · College GameDay Built by the Home Depot (9 a.m.-noon) delivered a 1.4 overnight (ESPN and ESPNU), including a 1.6 for its final hour on ESPN only. Numbers included all based on Nielsen overnights; Additional final viewership elements will be available this week College Football Kickoff Weekend: ABC Airs Two Highest-Rated Games on Any Network; ESPN's Networks Up 40% Year-Over-Year ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, August 31. [via press release from ESPN] College Football Kickoff Weekend: ABC Airs Two Highest-Rated Games on Any Network; ESPN's Networks Up 40% Year-Over-Year · ABC Saturday Night Football: Highest-Rated Game of the Day and Up 63% Year-Over-Year · ESPN's Networks Cumulatively Lead in Each Game Window · College GameDay Built by The Home Depot Continues Strong Start ABC aired the two highest-rated college football games on any network during Saturday's action of college football's Kickoff Weekend, including its signature franchise Saturday Night Football leading the way among all games. Across all of Kickoff Weekend thus far (Aug. 29-Aug 31), ESPN/ABC/ESPNEWS have aired 12 of the 14 highest-rated games across all networks. The individual strong game ratings have led to ESPN's networks being up 40% year-over-year in Week 1 (14 games), including ESPN being up 22% (8 games). The networks' ratings success was also evident in each individual game window, as ESPN's networks had the highest cumulative ratings in the noon, late afternoon and primetime windows, respectively. ABC's Fast Start: Two Highest-Rated Games and Up Year-Over-Year ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Oregon vs. Auburn (7:30 p.m. ET) delivered a 4.4 overnight, the highest-rated game of Kickoff Week among all networks. The overnight for the Tigers' last-minute victory resulted in a 63% ratings increase compared to the franchise's season opener in 2018 (Louisville vs. Alabama). ABC's rating peaked at 5.5 as Auburn drove and scored the game-winning touchdown (11:15-11:30 p.m.). Birmingham led all markets with a 37.1 overnight. The top 10 local markets: Rank Market Rating 1 Birmingham 37.1 2 Portland 14.7 3 Tulsa 8.8 4 Oklahoma City 8.5 5 Nashville 8.4 6 Jacksonville 8.3 7 Memphis 8.0 8 Knoxville 7.9 9 Columbus 7.3 10 Atlanta 7.0 Leading in SNF, the ESPN CFB150 Showcase Game featuring Duke vs. Alabama (3:30 p.m.) delivered a 3.1 overnight, the highest-rated late afternoon game of the day and the second highest-rated game of any network across week 1. Birmingham also was the top local market, earning a 37.8 overnight. The top five markets: Rank Market Rating 1 Birmingham 37.8 2 Atlanta 9.1 3 Memphis 8.8 4 Nashville 8.3 5 New Orleans 7.3 ESPN's Networks Combine to Deliver Biggest Ratings in Noon Window In addition to airing the highest-rated primetime and late afternoon games of the day, ESPN's networks, cumulatively, were the highest-rated networks among any media company in the noon game window of the day. In that window, ESPN's networks combined to deliver a 3.4 overnight across its four games. Birmingham Welcomes Back College Football in a Big Way Birmingham was consistently tuned to ABC on Saturday, as across the three football game windows, 29% of the market on average was watching the network between noon and 11:30 p.m. College GameDay's Strong, Consistent Start Continues College GameDay Built by the Home Depot (9 a.m.-noon) delivered a 1.4 overnight (ESPN and ESPNU), including a 1.6 for its final hour on ESPN only. From This Morning: CFB Kickoff Weekend - ABC Airs Two Highest-Rated Games on Any Network; ESPN's Networks up 40% Year-Over-Year College Football in Primetime: ESPN and ABC Combine to Average 8.7 Million Viewers; Generate 54% Growth in Audience Year-Over-Year · ABC's Saturday Night Football Averaged 6.9 Million Viewers College football fans tuned to ABC and ESPN en masse during Saturday's Kickoff Weekend primetime action, as the two networks combined to average a viewership of 8,700,000 people in primetime (8-11 p.m. ET). The significant audience represented a 54% primetime growth across the same two networks compared to the sport's opening Saturday last season. ABC's Saturday Night Football Off to Significant Start The season premiere of ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Oregon and Auburn (7:30 p.m.) averaged 6.9 million viewers, which will be the most-watched college football game on any network. The audience for the Tigers' last-minute victory is up 52% from the network's franchise season debut last season (Louisville vs. Alabama) and peaked at 8.4 million viewers as Auburn was driving and executed the game-winning touchdown (11-11:15 p.m.). ESPN Generates Multi-Year Primetime Audience High for Season's First Full Saturday ESPN's primetime game featuring Georgia at Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m.) averaged 1.8 million viewers, up 79% from last season's Kickoff Weekend Saturday primetime game. The audience for the Bulldogs' victory represents the best for ESPN in the Kickoff Weekend time slot since 2016. Nielsen Fast Nationals data is available for primetime games only. Additional viewership data will be available this week. A Hot July for ESPN: Viewership Rises 18% ESPN further spins the numbers for the month of July. [via press release from ESPN] A Hot July for ESPN: Viewership Rises 18% ESPN2 also Sees Increase, up 7% Sunday Night MLB, NBA Summer League and Wimbledon Soar to Lead Increase SportsCenter, First Take, Get Up Drive Studio Show Growth ESPN enjoyed a hot July with viewership rising 18% over 2018, from 440,000 to 518,000 on a total day basis, according to Nielsen. This follows a June where ESPN experienced a 5% increase. In addition, ESPN2 was up 7% year over year for the month, from 148,000 to 159,000. The ESPN increase led to the network leading all of cable for total day in the key male demos - 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 - and to lead in prime time among men 18-34 and men 18-49. ESPN's overall increase in prime time was 19%, from 745,000 to 883,000 including an increase of 33% for males 12-17. Key drivers behind July's success were: · Sunday Night Baseball was up 35% for the month including the most-watched game of the year (New York Yankees at Boston) · The NBA Summer League also saw a 35% increase on ESPN including the network's most-watched game ever (New Orleans vs. New York) · ESPN's most-watched Wimbledon ever was up 30% from last year · Formula One races in July were up 22% including the German Grand Prix which was its most-viewed in cable TV history (records go back to 1994) · The Home Run Derby was up 4% to an average of 6.2 million viewers · The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was also up 4% ESPN Studio Shows with Continued Viewership Growth The positive viewership momentum for ESPN studio shows in recent months continued in July. First Take led the way with a significant 32 percent increase over 2018 (including shows moved to ESPN2 for Wimbledon), making July the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year growth for the morning debate show. First Take is already off to a strong start in the new Nielsen month of August with Monday's episode - featuring guest host Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin - seeing a 36 percent increase over last year's comparable show. The noon ET edition of SportsCenter also climbed in viewership for the third straight month with a 19 percent increase in July from last year's comparable one-hour window. SportsCenter and First Take combined drove ESPN to lead cable across all key male demos on weekdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For the fifth consecutive month, Get Up and the 7 a.m. SportsCenter successfully led off the day's studio programming with monthly viewership increases. Get Up saw double-digit growth of 11 percent from the comparable two-hour window in 2018 with SportsCenter jumping 7 percent from last year. The two shows led ESPN to win cable from 7-10 a.m. among M18-49. The midnight and 1 a.m. SportsCenter shows also saw increases - 9 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Outside the Lines, for the third consecutive month, saw year-over-year viewership growth, up 7 percent in July over 2018. The 5-6 p.m. weekday hour on ESPN also enjoyed increases in July. Pardon the Interruption jumped 8 percent, marking the show's fourth consecutive month of growth. Leading off the 5-6 p.m. window, Around the Horn's audience average grew 2 percent, increasing the show's streak of year-over-year growth to three months. The success continued into the weekend as the Saturday and Sunday morning editions of SportsCenter combined to be up 13 percent year over year and driving ESPN to lead all networks from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. among viewers 18-49 and those 25-54. ESPN Sees Overall Viewership Success in June Led by Continued Upward Studio Show Trends ESPN further spins the numbers for the month of June. [via press release from ESPN] ESPN Sees Overall Viewership Success in June Led by Continued Upward Studio Show Trends Double Digit Annual Average Viewership Increase 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Weekday Morning Studio Show Lineup Including SportsCenter, Get Up and First Take All Saw Year-Over-Year Growth for June & Quarter Marquee News and Information Programming Up Across Multiple Editions of SportsCenter & Outside the Lines In June, ESPN grew its audience average 12 percent year over year during the daily 7 a.m.-7 p.m. ET window contributing to a 24-hour year-over-year increase of 5 percent overall to 518,000 viewers and leading cable among young men. ESPN led full-time cable networks among viewers and men 18-34 (for at least the 20th consecutive June), 18-49 and 25-54. In prime time, ESPN averaged just over a million viewers and was best among men 18-49 and men 25-54. For the quarter, ESPN topped all full-time cable networks among viewers 18-34, men 18-34 (for at least the 20th straight quarter), men 18-49 and men 25-54. "ESPN's studio programming led by SportsCenter continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of sports fans," said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president & executive editor, production. "The double-digit, annual growth in June during the 7 a.m.-7 p.m. period truly speaks to the relevance, versatility and success of our studio show lineup." ESPN Studio Shows ESPN's morning studio show lineup saw another month of year-over year growth in June with multiple wins across key cable demographics. Get Up continued its monthly viewership success with a 21 percent increase over the comparable 8-10 a.m. timeslot in 2018. The 7 a.m. edition of SportsCenter was up nine percent in June from the comparable one-hour window last year, according to Nielsen. June marked the fourth consecutive month of annual increases for both shows which combined to drive ESPN to cable wins across multiple demographics including viewers 18-49. For the second quarter of 2019, Get Up and the 7 a.m. SportsCenter saw 24 percent and 14 percent yearly viewership increases, respectively. First Take experienced its third straight month of year-over-year viewership growth, up six percent over 2018. The noon SportsCenter also climbed 10 percent in June over the comparable 12-1 p.m. window in 2018. The two shows combined led ESPN to cable wins across all key male demos from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. First Take saw a five percent yearly increase for the second quarter with the noon edition of SportsCenter climbing three percent for the timeframe. From 10 a.m.-noon, driven by First Take, ESPN remains the top network (cable or broadcast) among the men 18-34 demographic for the seventh consecutive month. The success continued across ESPN's news and information programming with Outside the Lines seeing multiple areas of annual viewership growth including nine percent for June and three percent for the quarter. The 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter continued the trend with a four percent and one percent increase for the month and quarter, respectively. SportsCenter's weekend morning editions also combined for a nine percent annual increase in June and three percent growth for the quarter. Pardon the Interruption enjoyed its third consecutive month of viewership growth, seeing a 10 percent increase in June. Leading off the 5-6 p.m. window, Around the Horn saw a year-over-year increase of seven percent. Pardon the Interruption was up eight percent for the quarter, with Around the Horn seeing a three percent rise. ESPN's sport-specific programming thrived as well with The Jump and NFL Live both seeing year-over-year viewership increases for the month. The Jump's viewership average increased by four percent with NFL Live climbing two percent. ESPN's Second Highest Rated NBA Conference Finals Game 3 Ever ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, May 18. [via press release from ESPN]ESPN's Second Highest Rated NBA Conference Finals Game 3 Ever Metered Market Ratings Up From Last Two Years Last night's Golden State Warriors victory over the Portland Trail Blazers is now ESPN's second highest rated NBA Conference Finals Game 3 ever, according to Nielsen. The telecast delivered a 5.4 metered market rating, up 17 percent from the 2017 Western Conference Finals Game 3 - the last time ESPN televised the Western Finals. It is also up six percent from ESPN's Eastern Conference Finals coverage last year. Saturday night's ESPN telecast peaked with a 6.2 metered market rating from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET. The top five highest rated local markets were San Francisco (21.4), Portland (19.6), Sacramento (9.4), Salt Lake City (8.1), and New Orleans (7.0). Last night's Game 3 is only behind ESPN's Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Game 3 in 2012 (5.6 metered market rating) as the network's highest rated Conference Finals Game 3 ever. Additionally, Game 3 of the 2009 NBA Western Conference Finals - Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets - drew a 6.6 metered market rating on ABC. Through 27 games, ESPN and ABC's 2019 NBA Playoffs coverage is averaging a 3.6 metered market rating, up three percent from 2018 and up nine percent from 2017. The 2019 NBA Western Conference Finals continue with Game 4 on Monday, May 20, at 9 p.m. ET. In addition to the game telecast, ESPN is offering several alternative viewing experiences on the ESPN App and.  ESPN's Second Highest Rated NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 Ever ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, May 16.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN's Second Highest Rated NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 Ever 6.0 Metered Market Rating Up 40 Percent from the Last Western Finals Game 2 on ESPN Last night's thrilling Golden State Warriors victory over the Portland Trail Blazers is now ESPN's second highest rated NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 ever, according to Nielsen. The telecast delivered a 6.0 metered market rating, peaking with a 6.9 rating from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET. The 6.0 rating is up 40 percent from the last time ESPN televised the Western Conference Finals - the 2017 series between the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. Last night's telecast is also the highest-rated NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 in 10 years across networks, since the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Game 2 telecast on ESPN drew a 6.1. The top five highest rated local markets on ESPN for Game 2 were San Francisco-Oakland (20.7), Portland (20.5), Sacramento (12.0), New Orleans (8.1), and Atlanta (7.4). Through 26 games, ESPN is averaging a 3.5 metered market rating, up three percent from 2018 and up five percent from 2017. Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals is Saturday, May 18, at 9 p.m. exclusively on ESPN.

ESPN's Highest-Rated NBA Conference Finals Game 1 Since 2012
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, May 14.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's Highest-Rated NBA Conference Finals Game 1 Since 2012
Highest-Rated NBA Draft Lottery Telecast Ever

ESPN generated its highest-rated NBA Conference Finals Game 1 since 2012 on Tuesday, according to Nielsen. The Golden State Warriors 116-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers delivered a 5.8 metered market rating, up four percent from the most recent NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 - Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs in 2017 - that drew a 5.6 rating. It was also up seven percent from ESPN's Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 last year - Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics - that drew a 5.4 rating. Last night's Game 1 peaked with a 6.3 rating from 10:45-11 p.m. ET.

ESPN also generated its highest-rated NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm telecast ever on Tuesday. The Draft Lottery telecast drew a 3.9 metered market rating, peaking with a 4.3 rating from 8:45-9 p.m. It was up 77 percent from a 2.2 rating for last year's telecast. Additionally, it was up 22 percent from the 2015 Draft Lottery telecast, which held the previous record rating with a 3.2. The top local markets for the Draft Lottery telecast were Cleveland (7.6), Norfolk (7.5), New York (6.7), Hartford (5.8) and Washington, D.C. (5.6).

The top five local markets for ESPN's NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 telecast were San Francisco-Oakland (21.9), Portland (20.5), Sacramento (10.2), Norfolk (7.4), and Charlotte (7.4).
The Western Conference Finals continues with Game 2 on Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN, the ESPN App, ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes. 

ESPN and ABC's Highest-Rated NBA Conference Semifinals Since 2012
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, May 12.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN and ABC's Highest-Rated NBA Conference Semifinals Since 2012
Metered Market Ratings Up 20 Percent from Last Year

The 2019 NBA Conference Semifinals was ESPN and ABC's highest-rated NBA Playoffs second round since 2012, according to Nielsen. Metered market ratings for ESPN and ABC's game coverage were up 20 percent compared to 2018 and up 24 percent to 2017. The platforms averaged a 4.2 metered market rating across 11 game telecasts, up from a 3.5 rating from last season and a 3.4 from 2017.

Sunday's Game 7 between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets generated a 4.8 metered market rating on ABC. The rating was up nine percent from the last time ABC aired an NBA Conference Semifinals broadcast in 2016 (Miami Heat vs. Toronto Raptors, 4.4 rating). The broadcast averaged a 19.9 rating in the Portland market, making it the highest-rated NBA game on ABC in 16 years.

ESPN's exclusive coverage of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Finals tips off on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET when the Golden State Warriors host the Portland Trail Blazers. The 2019 NBA Draft Lottery precedes Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. For more details on ESPN's full night of coverage on Tuesday, visit ESPN Press Room. 

5.8 Metered Market Rating for Golden State vs. Houston Game 6 Is ESPN's Highest-Rated NBA Western Conference Semifinals Telecast Ever
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, May 10.

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[via press release from ESPN] 5.8 Metered Market Rating for Golden State vs. Houston Game 6 is ESPN's Highest-Rated NBA Western Conference Semifinals Telecast Ever

ESPN and ABC's 2019 NBA Playoffs Metered Market Ratings Up Three Percent from Last Year
ESPN generated its highest-rated NBA Western Conference Semifinals telecast ever on Friday as the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. The telecast drew a 5.8 metered market rating, peaking with a 7.2 rating from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen. It is also ESPN's second-highest rated Conference Semifinals telecast ever.

Overall, ESPN and ABC 2019 NBA Playoffs metered market ratings are up three percent from 2018, through 23 games. It is averaging a 3.3 rating. ESPN and ABC's coverage of the 2019 NBA Conference Semifinals is averaging a 4.1 metered market rating, up 17 percent from 2018.
Last night's telecast delivered an 18.7 rating in the San Francisco-Oakland market and a 13.2 rating in the Houston market. The third-highest rated market was Portland (9.0 rating), followed by Sacramento (8.1 rating) and Atlanta (7.7 rating).

The NBA Playoffs continue this Sunday, May 12, at 3:30 p.m. when the Denver Nuggets host the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 7 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. The broadcast is exclusively on ABC and the ESPN App.

The 2019 NBA Western Conference Finals, exclusively on ESPN and the ESPN App, tip off with Game 1 on Tuesday, May 14, at 9 p.m. ET. The Golden State Warriors will host the Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers winner. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke will call the Western Conference Finals. 

ABC's Highest-Rated Primetime NBA Conference Semifinals Game Since 2011
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, May 4.

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[via press release from ESPN] ABC's Highest-Rated Primetime NBA Conference Semifinals Game Since 2011
· Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors Game 3 Up 20 Percent with 5.5 Metered Market Rating
· ESPN and ABC's NBA Conference Semifinals Coverage Up 21 Percent from Last Season
ABC generated its highest-rated primetime NBA Conference Semifinals game broadcast since 2011 on Saturday, according to Nielsen. ABC's coverage of the Houston Rockets victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of their Western Conference Semifinals series was up 20 percent from last year's comparable window. It averaged a 5.5 metered market rating and peaked with a 7.3 rating from 11-11:15 p.m. ET.

In the San Francisco-Oakland market, the broadcast delivered an 18.2 rating, while in the Houston market, the telecast delivered an 11.8 rating.
Through six games, ESPN and ABC's NBA Conference Semifinals coverage is averaging a 4.1 metered market rating, up 21 percent from last season.

It was ESPN's second consecutive night of posting significant ratings increases for its NBA Playoffs coverage. For more information on Friday's games, visit ESPN Press Room.
ABC's coverage of the 2019 NBA Playoffs continues today, May 5, at 3:30 p.m. when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Toronto Raptors in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Mark Jones, analyst and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown and reporter Israel Gutierrez will provide commentary. NBA Countdown precedes the game at 3 p.m. on ABC with host Michelle Beadle and analysts Jalen Rose and Paul Pierce. 

ESPN and ABC's Coverage of 2019 NBA Conference Semifinals Up 19 Percent in Metered Market Ratings
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, May 3.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN and ABC's Coverage of 2019 NBA Conference Semifinals Up 19 Percent in Metered Market Ratings
· Historic Quadruple Overtime Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Game Telecast Up 11 Percent from Last Year
· Friday's Doubleheader Up Seven Percent From Last Season
· Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Game 3 is ESPN's Highest-Rated Game Telecast of 2019 NBA Playoffs

ESPN and ABC's coverage of the 2019 NBA Conference Semifinals is up 19 percent from last season in metered market ratings, according to Nielsen. Through five games, ESPN and ABC are averaging a 3.8 metered market rating.

ESPN's coverage of Friday's historic quadruple overtime game, in which the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets 140-37, generated a 3.0 metered market rating, up 11 percent from last year's comparable game - Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz - that generated a 2.7 rating. Friday's Portland vs. Denver game telecast rating held strong at a 3.1 rating for all three quarter hours between 1:30 - 2:15 a.m. ET. The telecast averaged a 16.8 rating in the Portland market and an 8.1 rating in the Denver market. Dave Pasch, analyst Doris Burke and reporter Tom Rinaldi called the game.
Overall, Friday's doubleheader was up seven percent in metered market ratings compared to last year, averaging a 3.2 rating. ESPN's coverage of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics game, which saw the Bucks take a 2-1 series lead, drew a 3.4 metered market rating, up three percent from a 3.3 for last year's Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans game. It is now ESPN's highest-rated game of the 2019 NBA Playoffs. It peaked with a 4.2 rating in the final quarter hour. The telecast generated an 11.9 rating in the Milwaukee market and a 10.3 rating in the Boston market.

Coverage of the 2019 NBA Playoffs continues Saturday on ABC as the Golden State Warriors visit the Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters providing commentary. ABC will also broadcast Sunday's Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers Game 4 at 3:30 p.m. with Mark Jones, Hubie Brown and Israel Gutierrez on the call. 

2019 Alabama-Clemson College Football Playoff National Championship Is Most Watched of Their Three Head-to-Head Title Contests
ESPN further spins the numbers for Monday, January 7.

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[via press release from ESPN] 2019 Alabama-Clemson College Football Playoff National Championship is Most Watched of Their Three Head-to-Head Title Contests

· Final Total Live Audience Tops Out at Nearly 27 Million Viewers
· Out-of-Home and Additional Streaming Reporting Adds 1.7 Million Viewers to Previously Reported Championship Game Audience

· New Year's Six Most-Watched Among Non-New Year's Day Semifinal Seasons
The year's College Football Playoff National Championship featuring Alabama and Clemson (January 7, 2019) averaged nearly 27 million viewers and is the most-watched of their three head-to-head CFP National Championship games based on final Nielsen reporting, which now includes out-of-home viewing and computer/mobile streaming.

The final Nielsen total live audience is 26,979,000 viewers for the Tigers' 44-16 victory in the fifth CFP National Championship, up 3% and 2% from the Nielsen final reported audience for the second (January 11, 2016) and third (January 9, 2017) CFP National Championship games, respectively. This season's championship audience also surpassed the previous two matchups despite Clemson's decisive 28-point victory, which was the largest margin of victory for any college football national championship game since 2005*.

Out-of-Home Viewing Adds 1.3 Million Viewers to CFP National Championship Audience; Computer/Mobile Streaming an Additional 400K

Nielsen out-of-home reporting added 1.3 million viewers to the previously reported audience of 25,280,000, which accounted for ESPN's MegaCast** and a portion of the streaming audience. Further Nielsen reporting of mobile and computer streaming contributed another 399,000 viewers, resulting in nearly 27 million viewers for the game.
Among Most-Watched Cable Telecasts All-Time

The 2019 CFP National Championship was already a top 10 most-watched cable telecast based on the initial Nielsen reporting. With the new measured audience, the game ranks as the No. 7 most-watched cable telecast ever. All five CFP National Championship games rank in the top 10.

New Year's Six the Most Watched Among Years When CFP Semifinals Fall Outside of New Year's Day

This season's New Year's Six is the most watched among years when the CFP Semifinals were not played on New Year's Day. The final Nielsen total live audience for the six games was 14,922,000, up 26% and 1%, from the Nielsen final reported audience for the second and third years of the New Year's Six. The final Nielsen reported audience for the CFP Semifinal featuring Oklahoma vs. Alabama (December 29, 2018) is 20,911,000 viewers and Notre Dame vs. Clemson (December 29, 2018) is 18,830,000 viewers.

More on Nielsen reporting can be found here.
*2012 contest between Alabama-Notre Dame also had a 28-point margin of victory
**ESPN's MegaCast Presentation offered multiple productions for the game; however, only ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS are represented above. ESPN Classic, and SEC Network are not rated and thus not accounted for in this release. Additionally, ESPN3 streaming numbers are also not accounted for here. 

2019 Pro Bowl on ESPN and ABC Delivers Eight Million Viewers
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, January 27.

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[via press release from ESPN] 2019 Pro Bowl on ESPN and ABC Delivers Eight Million Viewers
Sunday afternoon's broadcast of the NFL's 2019 Pro Bowl - a 26-7 AFC victory over the NFC - averaged eight million viewers on ESPN and ABC, based on fast nationals. The audience for the game peaked from 5-5:30 p.m. ET with 8,931,000 viewers.

The top 10 metered markets: Kansas City (13.9), Pittsburgh (8.6), Norfolk (8.2), West Palm Beach (8.1), Cleveland (8.1), Chicago (7.8), Buffalo (7.8), Seattle-Tacoma (7.4), New Orleans (7.3) and Orlando (7.3).

The Pro Bowl telecast also aired on Disney XD and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

Debut "UFC Fight Night" on ESPN+ Is a Record-Setting Night
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, January 19.

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[via press release from ESPN] Debut "UFC Fight Night" on ESPN+ is a Record-Setting Night
· ESPN+ Service signs up over 568,000 subscribers on Friday and Saturday
· ESPN logs 1.4 rating, largest for a UFC Prelims Fight Card On Cable Since 2013
· ESPN+ Main Event Superfight - Cejudo vs. Dillashaw - Sees Stunning Finish

Last night's UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ debut, featuring 13 fights live from Brooklyn's Barclays Center, saw Henry Cejudo successfully defend his flyweight championship against bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in a stunning 32-second finish, and led to a record-setting night with 568,000 new subscribers for ESPN+ on Friday and Saturday combined - over 525,000 Saturday alone. It marks the largest event and subscription catalyst for ESPN+ thus far.

The UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ Prelims card aired on ESPN (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) from 8:15 -10 p.m. ET. The telecast averaged a 1.4 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated UFC Fight Night Prelims on cable since at least 2013.

ESPN+, the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company's Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN, launched in April and surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months. It offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

"Our first UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ was a thrilling evening of action and a great success, with a record-setting night that continued the momentum for ESPN+, delivered strong ratings on ESPN and marks a great start to our new agreement with the UFC," said Kevin Mayer, Chairman, Direct-To-Consumer and International, The Walt Disney Company. "It was a milestone evening, with the success driven by outstanding joint efforts from the teams at DTCI and ESPN."

On Saturday, there were also more than 1.8 million unique visitors to MMA-related digital content across ESPN digital platforms (ESPN App, ESPN.com, etc.), which was the most-trafficked Saturday for MMA content on record.

ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro said, "All day, and across all ESPN platforms, we collectively demonstrated the promise of what we can do to fulfill our mission of serving a wider array of sports fans."

On the Prelims portion of the card broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone thrilled the crowd with a second-round TKO of Alex Hernandez. After his win, Cerrone immediately challenged Conor McGregor. "I want Conor, if he'll agree to it. I'm coming for a belt. Cowboy is back." McGregor, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, quickly responded on Twitter, accepting the challenge: "For a fight like that Donald, I'll fight you. Congratulations."

This was the first fight card of the five-year media deal between UFC, The Walt Disney Company's Direct-To-Consumer & International segment and ESPN, announced last year. ESPN+ will offer 20 exclusive UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ events per year and all preliminary fights for UFC on ESPN Fight Night programs. ESPN linear networks will broadcast 10 exclusive UFC on ESPN Fight Night events per year as well as Prelim fights for UFC pay-per-view events. 

College Football Playoff National Championship Delivers Cable's Best Overnight in 12 Months
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, January 7.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Playoff National Championship Delivers Cable's Best Overnight in 12 Months
· MegaCast Presentation Earns 14.6 Overnight Despite Most-Lopsided CFP National Championship Game in the Era's History
· Ratings Followed Similar Pace to Most-Recent Alabama-Clemson CFP National Championship through Three Quarters
· New Year's Six + CFP National Championship Up 8% from Era's Second Year, Matches Third Year

The College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama-Clemson on January 7, 2019 (8 p.m. ET) - which featured College Football Playoff's largest margin of victory for its final game ever (28 points) - delivered cable's highest overnight in 12 months (January 8, 2018 - January 7, 2019), as Clemson's victory earned a 14.6 overnight across ESPN's presentation*. The CFP National Championship rating peaked at a 16.2 overnight in the first half when the Tigers extended their lead to 15 points.

Rating Followed Similar Pace of Last Alabama-Clemson CFP National Championship through Three Quarters

Through three quarters (8:15-11:15 p.m.), last night's rating tracked similarly to Clemson and Alabama's most recent CFP National Championship game in January 2017, despite Clemson extending its lead to 28 points in the third quarter. In the 2017 game, the Tigers trailed by 10 points entering the third quarter before coming back to win in the final seconds of the game. Last night, the Tigers achieved the largest margin of victory for any college football national championship game since 2005**.

This Season's College Football Playoff Delivers Cable's Three Best Overnights in Last 12 Months
Clemson's victory concludes a 10-day period in which the College Football Playoff on ESPN delivered cable's three best overnights in the past 12 months (January 8, 2018 - January 7, 2019), despite an average margin of victory of 22 points in the three games. As a result, this season continued the trend of the College Football Playoff delivering top cable ratings each year, as this year's CFP games join last year's three games in delivering six of the last seven highest cable overnights.

New Year's Six + CFP National Championship Generates Stronger Ratings than Second Year of System, Matches Third Year

This season's New Year's Six plus the CFP National Championship averaged a 9.0 overnight, up 8% from the second year of the CFP era and matching the third year of the system - both years, like this season, in which the CFP Semifinals were not played on New Year's Day. Those previous two years also featured an Alabama-Clemson CFP National Championship game.


Birmingham is No. 1 Local Market
Birmingham led the way among local markets, with an impressive 56.6 overnight. The top 10 markets:
Rank Market Rating
1 Birmingham 56.6
2 Greenville 36.9
3 New Orleans 28.6
4 Atlanta 25.5
5 Knoxville 25.4
6 Nashville 24.3
7 Charlotte 23.4
8 Columbus, OH 23.2
9 Jacksonville 22.2
10 Tulsa 20.8
*ESPN's MegaCast Presentation offered multiple productions for the game; however, only Nielsen-rated networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNEWS) are represented in the overnight for all years. ESPN Classic, and SEC Network are not rated and thus not accounted for in this release. Additionally, ESPN3 streaming numbers are also not accounted for here.
**2012 contest between Alabama-Notre Dame also had a 28 point margin of victory 

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual and Allstate Sugar Bowl Deliver Record New Year's Day
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, January 1.

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[via press release from ESPN] Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual and Allstate Sugar Bowl Deliver Record New Year's Day
· Rose Bowl Game Earns 9.7 Overnight and Sugar Bowl 7.8, Both Resulting in New Year's Six Records

· New Year's Six Averaged 8.0 Overnight, System's Best for Non-New Year's Day Semifinals Years
· Columbus Delivers Best Local Market Rating for Non-CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl Since 2010
The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual featuring Washington vs. Ohio State (5 p.m.) and the Allstate Sugar Bowl between Texas and Georgia (8:45 p.m.) delivered New Year's Six record ratings, with both bowls achieving their highest non-CFP Semifinal rating in the College Football Playoff five-year history. The significant New Year's Day ratings, combined with the strong College Football Playoff Semifinals and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl ratings on December 29, resulted in a new high-water mark for the New Year's Six among years with similar calendar structure.
Rose Bowl Delivers New Non-CFP Semifinal New Year's Six Record

The Rose Bowl Game delivered a 9.7 overnight (ESPN and ESPN2) up 3% from the 2017 Rose Bowl Game (1/1/2017) and up 23% from the 2016 edition (1/1/16). The overnight for the Buckeyes' victory becomes the highest-rated non-Semifinal New Year's Six game, overtaking the previously mentioned 2017 Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl peaked at 10.9 overnight late in the fourth quarter as Washington made a valiant comeback attempt (8:30-8:45 p.m.).

Sugar Bowl Up Significantly Year-Over-Year
The Sugar Bowl earned a 7.8 overnight (ESPN and ESPN2), up 28% from the 2017 Sugar Bowl (1/1/2017) and 47% increase from the 2016 game (1/1/16).

Fiesta Bowl Begins New Year's Day with Window's Best Overnight
The PlayStation Fiesta Bowl featuring LSU vs. UCF delivered a 5.0 overnight, up 9% from the 2015 Fiesta Bowl, the only other time in the New Year's Six era which the game hosted the automatic qualifier from the Group of Five. The overnight for the Tigers' victory was also the highest rated among the New Year's Day early window games this season.

New Year's Six Delivers Multiple Records
This season's New Year's Six delivered an 8.0 overnight average, the highest-rated New Year's Six for years the CFP Semifinals are not played on New Year's Day. This season's New Year's Six non-Semifinal games earned a 7.0 overnight, the best ever in the five years of the system.
Home Markets of Winning Teams Draw Best Local Ratings; Columbus Delivers Best Rating for Non-CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl in Nearly a Decade

The home market for the winning teams in the Rose Bowl Game, Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl were also the highest-rated markets, with Columbus, Ohio, delivering the best of the day at a 42.7. The significant rating for Columbus, Ohio, was the best individual market for the Rose Bowl since 2010, except the two seasons in which the game was a CFP Semifinal. The top 10 local markets for each of the three games:
· Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
Rank Market Rating
1 Columbus, Ohio 42.7
2 Dayton 30.3
3 Cleveland 29.9
4 Seattle-Tacoma 22.8
5 Birmingham 21.5
6 New Orleans 17.4
7 Cincinnati 16.5
8 Nashville 13.7
9 Austin 13.3
10 Greenville 13.0
· Allstate Sugar Bowl
Rank Market Rating
1 Austin 25.4
2 Birmingham 22.1
3 Atlanta 20.6
4 Columbus, Ohio 18.2
5 New Orleans 18.0
6 Greenville 14.8
7 Nashville 14.4
8 Dayton 13.6
9 Tulsa 13.6
10 Dallas-Ft. Worth 13.4
· PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Rank Market Rating
1 New Orleans 25.1
2 Birmingham 21.2
3 Orlando 14.0
4 Greenville 11.1
5 Columbus, Ohio 10.3
6 Tampa-St. Pete 9.5
7 Atlanta 9.4
8 Jacksonville 9.1
9 Austin 8.9
10 Knoxville 8.3
Birmingham Leads Local Markets among All New Year's Six Games
Birmingham was the highest-rated market for the entire New Year's Six, delivering a 27.3 average across the six games. The complete Top 10:
Rank Market Rating
1 Birmingham 27.3
2 Columbus, Ohio 20.6
3 New Orleans 18.4
4 Dayton 15.7
5 Greenville 15.4
6 Tulsa 15.3
7 Oklahoma City 14.2
8 Cleveland 14.1
9 Nashville 13.9
10 Atlanta 13.6
New Year's Six Consists of Allstate Sugar Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual.

College Football Playoff Semifinals Continue to Deliver Strong Ratings for ESPN; Rank Among Top Cable Presentations of the Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, December 29.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Playoff Semifinals Continue to Deliver Strong Ratings for ESPN; Rank among Top Cable Presentations of the Year
· Capital One Orange Bowl Delivers 10.4 Overnight; Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic 10.3
· Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Delivers Its Highest-Non Semifinal Overnight of the CFP Era
· Birmingham is Highest-Rated Market for All Three Games; More than 50% of Market Watches Crimson Tide's Victory

The College Football Playoff Semifinals delivered strong ratings for ESPN once again, as the Capital One Orange Bowl featuring Alabama's 45-34 victory over Oklahoma (8 p.m. ET) earned a 10.4 overnight and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, which Clemson controlled and defeated Notre Dame 30-3 (4 p.m.), delivered a 10.3 overnight. The two overnight ratings, which account for ESPN's MegaCast offering, will finish among the top six highest-rated cable presentations of 2018 - a top six which features all five CFP games that were played in the calendar year (CFP Semifinals on January 1 and CFP National Championship on January 8).

Significant, Early Leads Result in First Half Peak Ratings for Both Games
ESPN earned two of cable's best overnights of the year despite both games' ratings peaking in the first half. The Orange Bowl peaked at an 11.8 when Alabama jumped out to a 14-0 lead with more than five minutes to go in the first quarter (8:30-8:45 p.m.), a lead that the Crimson Tide would increase to 31-10 before halftime. The Cotton Bowl peaked at an 11.2 when Clemson scored seconds before halftime, giving the Tigers a 23-3 advantage going into the break (5:30-5:45 p.m.).
CFP Semifinals See Ratings Growth from Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl's First CFP Semifinals
Both overnights were up from the 2015 season's CFP Semifinals, the only other time that the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl hosted the CFP Semifinals. This year's early game was up 5% from 2015 and the late game up 4% from the same year.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Delivers a New High
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl delivered the bowl's highest non-Semifinal rating of the CFP era. Florida's defeat of Michigan (noon) earned a 5.3 overnight, up 4% from last year's game, which was played directly before the CFP Semifinals, and up 33% from the previously mentioned 2015 year.
Birmingham is No. 1 Local Market for all Three Games; More than 50% of the Market Watched Alabama's Convincing Victory

Birmingham was the highest-rated market for all three games, including delivering a 51.3 overnight for the Crimson Tide's victory. The top 10 market for each game:
Capital One Orange Bowl
Rank Market Rating
1 Birmingham 51.3
2 Tulsa 31.5
3 Oklahoma City 30.7
4 Greenville, SC 23.3
5 Nashville 20.5
6 Knoxville 20.2
7 Columbus, 20.2
8 New Orleans 19.9
9 Atlanta 17.4
10 Jacksonville 15.6
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Rank Market Rating
1 Birmingham 31.3
2 Greenville 26.4
3 Oklahoma City 19.7
4 New Orleans 19.5
5 Tulsa 19.0
6 Columbus 18.9
7 Nashville 17.8
8 Knoxville 17.7
9 Dayton 16.6
10 Atlanta 15.9
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Rank Market Rating
1 Birmingham 19.3
2 Detroit 14.8
3 Columbus 12.5
4 Jacksonville 11.8
5 Dayton 11.0
6 Tampa-St. Pete 10.7
7 New Orleans 10.6
8 Nashville 10.0
9 Tulsa 9.8
10 Knoxville 9.7
ESPN's MegaCast Presentation Includes ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS; The 2018 Top Cable Lists Includes a Tie at No. 6. 

ESPN's "Monday Night Football" Finishes 2018 Regular Season Up Eight Percent
ESPN further spins the numbers for the season to date.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's Monday Night Football Finishes 2018 Regular Season Up Eight Percent
MNF - Most-Watched Series on Cable for the Second Straight Year
ESPN's Monday Night Football finished the 2018 NFL regular season up eight percent year-over-year with an average viewership of 11,647,000 over 17 games (16 weeks).
In addition to the eight percent gain over 2017 (10,788,000), MNF also increased two percent vs. 2016 (11,390,000).

2018 MNF Season Highlights:
· MNF finished the season as the most-watched series on cable for the second straight year.
· MNF accounted for nine of the top 20 most-watched telecasts on cable in 2018.
· MNF helped ESPN win the night all 16 Mondays this season, among all networks - broadcast or cable - in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54).
· MNF was the most-watched telecast of the day on 15 of 16 Mondays in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos.

· MNF's most-watched game of the season was the Chiefs-Rams thriller on Nov. 19, attracting an audience of 16.7 million viewers. It was the first MNF game played in Los Angeles in 33 years, though originally scheduled for Mexico City.

· The top 10 MNF metered markets this season include New Orleans (14.4), Norfolk (11.6), Richmond (10.9), Kansas City (10.6), Denver (10.5), Washington D.C. (10.1), Seattle-Tacoma (9.9), San Diego, Albuquerque and Phoenix (9.6).

· ESPN's MNF debuted a brand new commentator team in 2018, featuring Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and reporter Lisa Salters.

MNF Team to Call an NFL Wild Card Playoff Game and the 2019 Pro Bowl:
ESPN's MNF team will call an NFL Wild Card playoff game (January 5 or 6, 2019), as well as the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando (January 27).

Highest-Rated NBA Christmas Day of ESPN & ABC Era Based on Combined Overnight Ratings from Nielsen (Excluding Shortened Season in 2011)
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, December 25.

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[via press release from ESPN] Highest-Rated NBA Christmas Day of ESPN & ABC Era Based on Combined Overnight Ratings from Nielsen (Excluding Shortened Season in 2011)

· Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers Broadcast Generates 6.5 Metered Market Rating and Matches Fourth Highest Rated Christmas Game Ever on ESPN and ABC
· ABC's NBA Christmas Tripleheader Up 17 Percent from Last Year
· Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Thriller Up 27 Percent from 2017
· ESPN's Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz Telecast Draws Highest-Rated Christmas Game in Late Window Since 2015

2018 is the highest-rated NBA Christmas Day of the ESPN and ABC era (since 2002), based on combined overnight ratings from Nielsen (excluding the shortened season that began on Christmas in 2011). ESPN and ABC's coverage of the five-game slate generated an 18.7 combined metered market rating, up from a 16.0 rating last year.

The highly anticipated matchup between the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers matched the fourth highest rated NBA Christmas Day game ever on ESPN and ABC. The Lakers 127-101 victory over the Warriors delivered a 6.5 metered market rating combined on ESPN and ABC. It is also the highest-rated NBA Christmas prime-time game ever on ESPN and ABC. It was up 97 percent from last year's comparable game.

Overall, ABC's tripleheader averaged a 4.9 metered market rating, up 17 percent from 2017. The 5:30 p.m. ET broadcast between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers generated a 4.7 metered market rating, up 27 percent from Celtics vs. Wizards last year. The 3 p.m. Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game delivered a 3.8 rating.

ESPN's 10:30 p.m. telecast of the Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz game drew a 1.5 metered market rating, up 36 percent from last year's Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves telecast. It is the highest-rated Christmas game in the late window since 2015, across networks. The Milwaukee Bucks victory over the New York Knicks at noon generated a 2.2 rating.

Saints-Panthers on ESPN Delivers Second-Best "Monday Night Football" Overnight Rating of the Season and Is Up 40 Percent Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, December 17.

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[via press release from ESPN] Saints-Panthers on ESPN Delivers Second-Best Monday Night Football Overnight Rating of the Season and is Up 40 Percent Year-Over-Year

Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:15 p.m. ET) - a New Orleans Saints' 12-9 victory over the Carolina Panthers - earned a 9.1 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is the second-best MNF overnight rating of the season (Chiefs-Rams earned an 11.3) and an increase of 40 percent vs. last year (Falcons-Buccaneers earned a 6.5). Saints-Panthers peaked from 11-11:15 p.m. ET with a 10.5 metered market rating.

Local markets: In New Orleans the game delivered a 13.4 rating on ESPN and a 46.4 rating on WDSU-NBC, for a combined 59.8 rating in the market. In Charlotte, the game delivered a 10.3 rating on ESPN and a 16.1 rating on WJZY-FOX, for a combined 26.4 rating in the market.
The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Greensboro (16.9), Raleigh-Durham (13.3), Norfolk (12.7), Kansas City (12.3), San Diego and Seattle-Tacoma (11.9), Richmond-Petersburg (11.6), Washington D.C. (11.5), Greenville (10.9), Minneapolis-St. Paul (10.7).

Postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt Delivers Best Overnight Rating of the Season
Last night's postgame edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt averaged a 3.1 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is the best overnight rating for a postgame SportsCenter all season. 

"MNF" Is No. 1 Show on Monday as ESPN Wins the Night for 12th Straight Week
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, November 26.

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[via press release from ESPN] MNF is No. 1 Show on Monday as ESPN Wins the Night for 12th Straight Week
MNF Viewership is Up 10 Percent Season-To-Date

ESPN's Week 12 Monday Night Football game (8:14-11:09 p.m. ET) - a Houston Texans' 34-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans - averaged 9,822,000 viewers across ESPN and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen. This is an increase of 17 percent vs. last year's week 12 game (8,363,000 viewers).

ESPN won the night among all networks, broadcast or cable, in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54) for the 12th straight week this fall. Titans-Texans was also the highest-rated telecast of the night across all broadcast and cable networks among those same categories.

· On ESPN, Titans-Texans averaged a 6.0 US household rating and 9,735,000 viewers. The telecast peaked from 9-9:15 p.m. ET with a 6.9 US household rating and 11,319,000 viewers.
· On ESPN Deportes, Titans-Texans averaged an additional 87,000 viewers.
Local markets: In Nashville, the game delivered a 6.4 rating on ESPN and a 15.1 rating on WKRN-ABC, for a combined 21.5 rating in the market. In Houston, the game delivered a 10.7 rating on ESPN and an 18.7 rating on KTRK-ABC, for a combined 29.4 rating in the market.
The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (12.0), Austin (10.0), Phoenix (9.9), Denver (9.5), Kansas City and Portland (9.2), San Antonio (9.1), Dallas-Ft. Worth and Norfolk (8.8), Seattle-Tacoma (8.6).
Season-to-date: MNF on ESPN is up 10 percent vs. last year, averaging 11,765,000 viewers.
Week 13 on ESPN's MNF: In a matchup of NFC East division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Washington Redskins on Dec. 3 at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - Up 16 Percent
Monday's postgame edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt averaged 2,749,000 viewers, which is an increase of 16 percent vs. last year's comparable show.

ESPN's Chiefs-Rams Thriller Is "Monday Night Football's" Best Overnight Rating Since 2014
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, November 19.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's Chiefs-Rams Thriller is Monday Night Football's Best Overnight Rating Since 2014
· 11.3 metered market rating - up 57 percent year-over-year vs. week 11 in 2017
· Game rating peaked at 12.5 in the game's final minute

· Teams combine for 105 points, the highest scoring game in MNF's 49-year history
Last night's ESPN Monday Night Football game - a thrilling Los Angeles Rams' 54-51 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that produced the most combined points in a game in MNF history - earned an 11.3 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. It is the best overnight rating for an ESPN MNF game since 2014 (12.1, Dallas-Washington, 10/27/2014) and ESPN's highest overnight rating since the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 8.

The Chiefs-Rams overnight rating also represents a 57 percent increase over the 7.2 rating for the week 11 game (Atlanta-Seattle) in 2017.

The game rating peaked at 12.5 on the final drive from 11:45 p.m. - 12 a.m. ET as Patrick Mahomes attempted to lead the Chiefs down the field.

Originally scheduled to be played in Mexico City as part of the 2018 NFL International Series, the Chiefs-Rams game was moved on Nov. 14 to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Last night's game was the first MNF game played in Los Angeles in 33 years (October 28, 1985).

Local markets:
· In Kansas City, the game delivered a 16.6 rating on ESPN and a 36.2 rating on KMBC-ABC, for a combined 52.8 rating in the market.

· In Los Angeles, the game delivered a 10.4 rating on ESPN - the highest rating in the market since 2016 - and a 9.2 on KABC-ABC, for a combined 19.6 rating in the market.

Top 10 markets:
The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (21.4), San Diego (16.2), Denver (15.7), Seattle-Tacoma (15.5), Phoenix (14.4), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (14.3), Richmond, Va. (14.0), Minneapolis-St. Paul (13.8), Washington, D.C. (13.8), and Las Vegas (13.7).
Video of top moments from last night's telecast.

Postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - up 59 percent
The MNF postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt continued its streak of year-over-year overnight ratings increases with a 3.0 average metered market rating last night, an increase of 59 percent vs. last year's comparable show (1.9).

Final numbers are expected late afternoon.
Chiefs-Rams on ESPN Delivers 16.7 Million Viewers - Monday Night Football's Best Audience Since December 2016
· Viewership up 53 percent vs. week 11 in 2017
· Game rating peaked with 18.9 million viewers in the game's final minutes
· MNF is No. 1 show again as ESPN wins the night for 11th straight Monday
· 2018 MNF viewership up 21 percent season-to-date

Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15 p.m.-12 a.m. ET) - a thrilling Los Angeles Rams' 54-51 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs - averaged 16.7 million viewers across ESPN, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen. It is the largest MNF audience since December 2016 (18.6 million, Lions-Cowboys) and ESPN's most-viewed telecast since the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 8.

Viewership for Chiefs-Rams is up 53 percent vs. last year's Atlanta-Seattle game in week 11, which averaged 10.9 million viewers across the ESPN networks.

The MNF game was the most-watched telecast of the night among households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54), and ESPN won the night again among all networks, broadcast or cable, in those same categories. Through 11 weeks of the NFL season (12 games), MNF has helped ESPN win the night all 11 Mondays.

Through 12 games, Monday Night Football is averaging 13.2 million viewers, a 21 percent increase year-over-year (vs. 10.9 million) - and up 22 percent from last year's full season average (10.8 million).

· On ESPN, Chiefs-Rams averaged a 9.7 US household rating and 16.6 million viewers - an increase of 54 percent compared to 10.8 million viewers in week 11 last year. The telecast peaked on the final drive from 11:45 p.m. - 12 a.m. ET as Patrick Mahomes attempted to lead the Chiefs down the field with an 11.1 US household rating and 18.9 million viewers.

· On ESPN Deportes and ESPNEWS (Spanish-language simulcast), Chiefs-Rams averaged an additional 173,000 viewers, the highest audience on ESPN Deportes so far this season.
Originally scheduled to be played in Mexico City as part of the 2018 NFL International Series, the Chiefs-Rams game was moved on Nov. 13 to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Last night's game was the first MNF game played in Los Angeles in 33 years (October 28, 1985). The Chiefs and Rams combined for 105 points, the highest scoring game in MNF's 49-year history.

Local markets:
· In Kansas City, the game delivered a 16.6 rating on ESPN and a 36.2 rating on KMBC-ABC, for a combined 52.8 rating in the market.
· In Los Angeles, the game delivered a 10.4 rating on ESPN - the highest rating in the market since 2016 - and a 9.2 on KABC-ABC, for a combined 19.6 rating in the market.
Top 10 markets:
The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (21.4), San Diego (16.2), Denver (15.7), Seattle-Tacoma (15.5), Phoenix (14.4), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (14.3), Richmond, Va. (14.0), Minneapolis-St. Paul (13.8), Washington, D.C. (13.8), and Las Vegas (13.7).
Video of top moments from last night's telecast.
Postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - Up 29 Percent
Last night's postgame edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt averaged 3,678,000 viewers, an increase of 29 percent vs. last year's comparable show (2,847,000).
Week 12 on ESPN's MNF: AFC South Showdown - Titans vs. Texans
Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans visit the division-leading Houston Texans, led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, in a matchup of top teams in the AFC South.

College Football Week 12: ABC Televises Three Highest-Rated Games, Sets a Multi-Year Overnight High in Noon ET Window
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, November 17.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 12: ABC Televises Three Highest-Rated Games, Sets a Multi-Year Overnight High in Noon ET Window; ESPN Tops the Cable Charts

· Ohio State-Maryland: Strong 4.1 Overnight, Best Noon ET Game on ESPN/ABC since 2016; Game Peaks at an Impressive 6.3 Overnight

· West Virginia-Oklahoma State: Leads the Way in Crowded 3:30 p.m. Game Window
· ABC's Saturday Night Football Cincinnati-UCF: Best in Primetime; Orlando Market Delivers for SNF and College GameDay Built by The Home Depot

ABC and ESPN carried the day across all networks in college football's week 12, as ABC aired the three highest-rated games overall and ESPN aired the highest-rated game on cable. ABC's success was evident throughout all of Saturday, Nov. 17, as the network delivered the highest-rated game in each of its game windows (noon, 3:30 p.m. and primetime), including delivering ESPN/ABC's highest-rated noon window since 2016.

Ohio State-Maryland: Highest-Rated Game of the Week; Game Surpasses 6.0 Overnight for More than 45 Minutes

ABC's telecast of Ohio State at Maryland (noon ET) was the highest-rated game of the day, delivering a 4.1 overnight for the game and surpassing a 6.0 overnight for the game's dramatic finish (3:30-4:15 p.m.). The 4.1 rating for the Buckeyes' overtime victory is ESPN/ABC's best for a noon game since Michigan-Ohio State in November of 2016.

Additional Highlights:
· Significantly Up Year-Over-Year: The high-scoring Big Ten game resulted in ABC being up 58% year-over-year from the similar game window last season (Virginia at Miami).
· Rating Peaks as Drama Ensues: ABC's rating continued to gain momentum throughout the dramatic second half, as noted above, including a peak rating of 6.3 from 3:30-3:45 p.m.
· Columbus Leads Among Local Markets: Columbus was the No. 1 local market, delivering a 35.0 overnight. The top ten markets:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 35.0 Columbus, OH
2 20.2 Dayton
3 18.6 Cleveland
4 10.0 Cincinnati
5 9.1 Oklahoma City
6 8.4 Tulsa
7 5.9 Washington, DC
8 5.6 Baltimore
9 5.4 Indianapolis
10 5.2 Greenville

ABC Out-Rates All of the Competition in Crowded 3:30 p.m. Window; Grows its Own Ratings Year-Over-Year

ABC continued its success with West Virginia at Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m.), as the Big 12 game earned a 2.6 overnight and propelled the network to a 18% growth year-over-year from the network's similar game last season (Illinois at Ohio State). The rating for the Cowboys' come-from-behind victory surpassed all the competition in the same game window, including the three other broadcast network competitors by 100%, 63%, and 30%, respectively.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Leads the Way in Primetime
ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Cincinnati at UCF (8 p.m.) was the highest-rated primetime game of the week, delivering a 2.3 overnight. The rating for the Knights' 23rd consecutive win topped the broadcast competition by 15%, leading to ABC/ESPN earning the highest-rated primetime game in the sport for the 10th time in 12 weeks this season.

Orlando and Cincinnati were the two highest-rated markets for SNF, delivering an 11.1 and 10.6 respectively. In Orlando, the local rating is the market's best for a ESPN/ABC game this season. In Cincinnati, the local rating notably surpassed the market's rating for the Ohio State game earlier in the day.

ESPN Airs Highest-Rated Game on Cable; ESPN/ESPN2 Pepper the Top of the Charts
ESPN led the way on cable, as Duke at Clemson (7 p.m.) earned a 1.5 overnight, cable's highest-rated game of week 12. Overall, ESPN and ESPN2 combined to air 10 out of the top 11 games on cable for the week.

College GameDay Built by The Home Depot Up Year-Over-Year; Orlando Rates at a Near Record High
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (9 a.m. - noon) delivered a 1.4 overnight for its first ever show from Orlando, Fla., up 8% from the week 12 show last year. In Orlando, College GameDay earned a 3.9 overnight, tying as the market's best rating for the premier pre-game show since 2010.
Ohio State-Maryland is Most-Watched College Football Game of Week 12; Audience Peaks at More Than Nine Million throughout Fourth Quarter and Overtime
· Buckeyes-Terrapins is ABC/ESPN's Most-Watched Noon ET Game in Nearly Two Years; ABC Up 65% Year-Over-Year
· ABC Airs Most-Watched Game in 3:30 p.m. and Primetime Windows Too; 'Wins-the-Night' Among All Networks - Sports and Non-Sports

· ESPN Airs Cable's Most-Watched Game of the Week for 12th Time in 12 Weeks
ABC and ESPN led the way among college football telecasts in week 12, as ABC aired the three most-watched games across all networks and ESPN televised the most-watched game on cable. ABC also set multi-year highs across ESPN/ABC in their noon ET window, while simultaneously airing the most-watched telecast of the day on any network (sports and non-sports) in key male demos. The significant day for the network continued into prime-time, as ABC's Saturday Night Football 'won the night' among all networks - both broadcast and cable - in multiple key demos.

Ohio State-Maryland: Among the Few College Football Games to Spike at More Than 9 Million Viewers This Season

ABC's Ohio State at Maryland telecast (noon ET) was the most-viewed college football game of the week, drawing a total live audience of 5,685,000 viewers, spiking at more than nine million viewers for approximately 40 minutes while the Buckeyes and Terrapins played into the fourth quarter and overtime (3:30-4:08 p.m.) The game's highest audience was reached during the overtime period, as an average of 9.2 million viewers tuned in (4-4:08 p.m.). The Big Ten game audience is among just the few college football games this season to have a peak audience surpass the nine million-viewer threshold.

Multi-Year High, Most-Watched Telecast in Key Male Demos among Additional Ohio State-Maryland Superlatives

· Multi-Year High: The audience of 5.7 million viewers results in the most-watched noon ET game on ESPN/ABC since November 2016

· Audience Up Significantly: ABC's audience was up 65% from the same game window last season (Virginia at Miami)

· Most-Watched Among Key Demos: Game was the most-viewed telecast of the day -- sports and non-sports -- among males 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and persons 18-34.

· Topping the Competition: The significant audience was 122% better than the broadcast competition airing college football at the same time

· Among The Best Audiences: The game ranks among the most-watched of the season. Now, season to date, ABC/ESPN have aired seven of the 13 most-watched games across all networks.
West Virginia-Oklahoma State: Most-Viewed Late Afternoon Game Across All Networks; Leads ABC to 19% Year-Over-Year Gain

ABC's West Virginia at Oklahoma State game (3:30 p.m.) delivered a total live audience of 3,948,000 viewers, college football's second most-watched game of the day across all networks, providing ABC a 19% increase in audience from the comparable window last season (Illinois at Ohio State).

For ABC, the Mountaineers-Cowboys game ranks as ABC's most-viewed late afternoon window since the opening week of the season and topped the broadcast competition in the same window by 97%, 93%, and 36%, respectively.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Caps a Significant Day of College Football Programming from UCF
ABC/ESPN continued its season-long prime-time success this week, as ABC's Saturday Night Football delivered the most-watched game of the night when Cincinnati at UCF (8 p.m.) earned a total live audience of 3,124,000 viewers. The airing of the American Athletic game marks the 10th time this season ESPN/ABC has aired the most-watched primetime game in the sport.

The AAC showdown also led ABC to 'win the night' among all key male and adult demos (males 18-34, 18-49, 25-54, and persons 18-34, 18-49, 25-54). The prime-time game bookended a day in Orlando, Fla., which began with College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (9 a.m.- noon) from the UCF campus, which drew 1,904,000 viewers across ESPN and ESPNU while also delivering a significant rating in the Knights' home market.

ESPN Airs Most-Watched Cable Game for 12th Time in 12 Weeks
ESPN's prime-time telecast of Duke at Clemson (7 p.m.) drew a Nielsen total live audience of 2,452,000 viewers, the most-watched cable telecast of the week. Now, 12 weeks into the season, ESPN has televised the most-watched cable game in each week of the season.

ESPN's "Monday Night Football": Giants-49ers Up 19 Percent Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, November 12.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's "Monday Night Football": Giants-49ers Up 19 Percent Year-over-Year
Last night's ESPN Monday Night Football game - a dramatic New York Giants' 27-23 come-from-behind road victory over the San Francisco 49ers - earned a 7.4 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is an increase of 19 percent compared to the 6.2 rating for the Dolphins at Panthers week 10 game in 2017.

The game rating peaked from 11-11:15 p.m. ET with an 8.3 rating when Eli Manning led the Giants offense downfield for the go-ahead touchdown and the defense held off the 49ers' final drive.
Local markets:

· In New York, the game delivered a 6.8 rating on ESPN and a 4.8 rating on WPIX-CW, for a combined 11.6 rating in the market.

· In San Francisco, the game delivered a 6.7 rating on ESPN and an 11.9 on KGO-ABC, for a combined 18.6 rating in the market.

Top 10 markets:
The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (14.7), Sacramento (13.8), Norfolk, Va. (11.5), Richmond-Petersburg (10.2), Seattle-Tacoma (10.0), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (9.8), Phoenix (9.7), Washington, DC (9.6), Hartford-New Haven (9.4) and Columbus, Ohio (9.1).

Postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - Up 24 Percent
The MNF postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt continued its streak of year-over-year overnight ratings increases with a 2.1 average metered market rating last night. This is a double-digit increase of 24 percent vs. last year's comparable show.

Final numbers are expected late afternoon.
MNF's Giants-49ers Delivers 10.6 Million Viewers - Up 20 Percent vs. Week 10 in 2017
· MNF is No. 1 Show Again as ESPN Wins the Night for 10th Straight Monday
· Second Best Year-Over-Year Increase of the Season for MNF

Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:30 p.m. ET) - a dramatic New York Giants' 27-23 come-from-behind road victory over the San Francisco 49ers - averaged 10.6 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen. This is an increase of 20 percent vs. last year's Dolphins-Panthers week 10 game, which averaged 8.9 million viewers across the two ESPN networks.

The year-over-year 20 percent increase for Giants-49ers is the second best audience gain of the 2018 Monday Night Football season - behind the 40 percent increase for the 49ers-Packers game in week six.
ESPN won the night again among all networks, broadcast
 or cable, in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54). Giants-49ers also helped ESPN become the most-watched network (broadcast or cable) in prime time among those same categories. Through 10 weeks of the NFL season (11 games), MNF has helped ESPN win the night all 10 Mondays.

Through 11 games, Monday Night Football is averaging 11.4 million viewers, up 4 percent from last year's average among total viewers (11.0 million) - and up five percent from last year's full season average (10.8 million).

· On ESPN, Giants-49ers averaged a 6.3 US household rating and 10.5 million viewers - an increase of 20 percent compared to 8.8 million viewers in week 10 last year. The telecast peaked from 11-11:15 p.m. ET with a 7.3 US household rating and 11.9 million viewers.

· On ESPN Deportes' Spanish-language simulcast, Giants-49ers averaged an additional 113,000 viewers.

Local markets:
· In New York, the game delivered a 6.8 rating on ESPN and a 4.8 rating on WPIX-CW, for a combined 11.6 rating in the market.

· In San Francisco, the game delivered a 6.7 rating on ESPN and an 11.9 on KGO-ABC, for a combined 18.6 rating in the market.

Top 10 markets:
The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (14.7), Sacramento (13.8), Norfolk, Va. (11.5), Richmond-Petersburg (10.2), Seattle-Tacoma (10.0), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (9.8), Phoenix (9.7), Washington, DC (9.6), Hartford-New Haven (9.4) and Columbus, Ohio (9.1).

Postgame SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - Up 19 Percent
Last night's postgame edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt averaged 2,923,000 viewers, an increase of 19 percent vs. last year's comparable show following the Dolphins-Titans game (2,466,000).

Week 11 on ESPN's MNF:
Rookie sensation Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Los Angeles Rams, led by quarterback Jared Goff, in a matchup of the top teams in the AFC and NFC, respectively. Originally scheduled for Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, the game will now be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

College Football Week 11: ABC and ESPN Air Two Top-Rated Games in Prime-Time
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, November 10.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 11: ABC and ESPN Air Two Top-Rated Games in Prime-Time; Bedlam Delivers Sport's Highest Peak Rating and Sets Local Rating Multi-Year Highs
· ABC/ESPN Air Highest-Rated Prime-Time Game for Ninth Time this Season
· Oklahoma State-Oklahoma Peaks at Impressive 5.1 Rating in Game's Final Minutes
· ESPN and ESPN2 Air Cable's Nine Highest-Rated Games

ABC and ESPN aired college football's two highest-rated prime-time games in week 11, continuing a season-long trend of leading the way in the coveted Saturday night timeslot. The prime-time success capped a week which also saw ABC's telecast of the annual Bedlam game featuring Oklahoma State-Oklahoma increase its national rating year-over-year and set multi-year highs in local Oklahoma markets and ESPN/ESPN2 combine to air the nine highest-rated cable games.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Delivers Sport's Highest-Rated Primetime Game; ESPN Tops Two Broadcast Networks in Same Timeslot

ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Clemson at Boston College (8 p.m. ET) was college football's highest-rated prime-time game in week 11, followed by ESPN's telecast of Auburn at Georgia (7 p.m.). Now, 11 weeks into the season, ABC or ESPN has aired the sport's highest-rated prime-time game in nine of those weeks and the two networks have combined to air the two highest-rated primetime games in multiple weeks.

In week 11, ABC topped the broadcast competition by 18% and 44% respectively, while notably, ESPN also topped the same two broadcast networks by 5% and 28%. The Tigers' victory on ABC delivered a 2.6 rating, while the Bulldogs' win on ESPN earned a 2.3 rating.
Oklahoma State-Oklahoma Up Big Year-Over-Year; Late Drama Earns Highest Peak Rating in the Sport

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma's annual Bedlam matchup (3:30 p.m.) resulted in ABC increasing its own audience by 36% from the same game window last year (Iowa at Wisconsin) and delivered a 76% increase from last year's Bedlam game which aired on a competitor's network. The down-to-the-wire Sooners' victory finished with a 3.0 overnight and earned the sport's highest peak audience of week 11 on any network. The rating jumped to a 5.1 overnight when the Cowboys' scored a touchdown with one minute to go in the fourth quarter, but failed to convert a two point conversion which would have given them the lead (7:15 - 7:30 p.m. ET).

Oklahoma City and Tulsa Markets Earn Multi-Year Rating Highs
Oklahoma City and Tulsa were the two highest-rated markets for Bedlam, with both delivering multi-year highs for regular season college football games on ESPN networks:
· Oklahoma City finished with a 34.7 local rating, the market's best since 2013 on an ESPN network
· Tulsa registered a 33.3 local rating, the market's highest since 2015 on an ESPN network
ESPN/ESPN2 Lead the Way Amongst Cable Competition; Air Sport's Highest-Rated Cable Games and Earn Highest Rating in Multiple Windows

Week 11 also continued the trend of ESPN and ESPN2 leading the way amongst cable competition, as noted by the two networks airing the nine highest-rated games on cable. The two networks also combined to increase their year-over-year rating in multiple game windows.
ESPN began Saturday increasing its rating by 18% year-over-year, as South Carolina at Florida (noon) carried the momentum that began on Friday night when ESPN2 delivered increases of 20% and 67%, respectively, for its Louisville at Syracuse (7 p.m.) and Fresno State at Boise State (10:30 p.m.) matchups. ESPN's rating for the Gators' victory finished at a 1.3 overnight.
Please note: Overnight ratings are based on estimated times

College Football Week 11: ESPN and ABC Air the Two Most-Watched Prime-Time Sporting Events and Win-the-Night Among all Key Demos

· ESPN and ABC Combine for Prime-time Average Audience of 7.3 Million; Peaking at 8.7 Million
· ABC and ESPN Generate Year-Over-Year Gains in Afternoon Windows; ESPN2 Friday Night Doubleheader up Big

College football resulted in ESPN and ABC airing the two most-watched sporting events in prime-time on Saturday, Nov. 10, and driving the networks to win the night- among sports and non-sports programming. Both networks primetime game telecasts also averaged a higher audience than nearly every other network's prime-time telecast -- sports and non-sports. The success capped a college football weekend where both networks saw a year-over-year audience gain in another game window and ESPN2 saw a significant jump in audience for its Friday night doubleheader.

Auburn-Georgia, Clemson-Boston College were College Football's Two Most-Watched Primetime Games

ESPN's telecast of Auburn at Georgia (7 p.m. ET) averaged a Nielsen total live audience of 3,987,000 viewers and ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Clemson at Boston College (8 p.m.) averaged a total live audience of 3,930,000 viewers, the two most-watched prime-time games of the week. The two networks, combined, averaged 7,359,000 viewers* between 8-11 p.m., peaking at 8,712,000 viewers (9:15 - 9:30 p.m.).

Among its college football competition, ESPN topped the broadcast networks by 26% and 49%, while ABC topped the same competition by 24% and 47%.
Winning the Night: ESPN and ABC Garner the Most Households, Viewers and Leads in All Key Demos

ESPN and ABC finished either No. 1 or No. 2 in households, total viewers and all key male/adult demos in prime-time November 10, with ESPN winning the night among all key male and adults demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54) and ABC winning the night among households and P2+ viewers.
Bedlam! Oklahoma State at Oklahoma Generates Year-Over-Year Gains, Peaks at Nearly 7 Million Viewers

ABC's telecast of Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (3:30 p.m.) generated an audience gain of 21% for the network from the same window last year, as the annual Bedlam game averaged a total live audience of 3,992,000 viewers. The audience grew in the second half, peaking at 6,832,000 viewers (7:15-7:30 p.m.) as Oklahoma State attempted a two point conversion with a minute to go in the fourth quarter. The audience for the one-point Sooners' victory was up 57% from last year's same game which aired on a competitor's network. In Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the game drew a 34.7 and 33.3 rating, respectively, setting new multi-year highs in the market, as announced Sunday.
ESPN began its Saturday airing South Carolina at Florida (noon), which averaged a Nielsen total live audience of 2,068,000 viewers, up from the same window last season.

ESPN2 Friday Night Doubleheader Results in 53% Year-Over-Year Audience Gain
ESPN2's Friday night doubleheader featuring Louisville at Syracuse (7 p.m.) and Fresno State at Boise State (10:30 p.m.) was up 53% from last year's week 11 Friday night doubleheader on the network.
*Includes a portion of California at USC on ESPN, which began at 10:30 p.m. ET

ESPN's "Monday Night Football": Patriots-Bills Up 10 Percent Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, October 29.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's "Monday Night Football": Patriots-Bills Up 10 Percent Year-Over-Year

Last night's Monday Night Football (8:15-11:30 p.m. ET), a New England Patriots 25-6 road victory over the Buffalo Bills, earned a 7.9 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is an increase of 10 percent vs. last year's Broncos-Chiefs game (7.2) - MNF's second best year-over-year increase of the 2018 season. The telecast peaked from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET quarter-hour with an 8.9 rating.

Local markets: In New England, the game delivered a 9.8 rating on ESPN, 6.2 rating on WMUR-ABC and 21.4 on WCVB-ABC, for a combined 37.4 rating in the market. In Buffalo, the game delivered a 10.5 rating on ESPN and 30.5 rating on WKBW-ABC, for a combined 41.0 rating.
The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Providence (20.0), New Orleans (13.0), Hartford-New Haven (12.6), Kansas City (11.1), Norfolk (10.2), Washington, DC (10.2), Cleveland (9.7), Denver (9.4), Richmond-Petersburg (9.4) and Ft. Myers-Naples (9.3).
SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - Up 25 Percent

The postgame edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt earned a 2.5 metered market rating, which is a 25 percent increase vs. last year's program following the Broncos-Chiefs game (2.0).

College Football Week 9: ESPN Up 56% Year-Over-Year on Saturday
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, October 27.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 9: ESPN Up 56% Year-Over-Year on Saturday; ESPN/ABC Deliver the Sport's Highest-Rated Primetime Game for Eighth Consecutive Week

· ESPN/ABC: Aired Three of the Four Highest-Rated Games, Led in Multiple Game Windows
· ESPN: Noon, Late Afternoon, and Primetime Windows All Up Significantly; Seven-Game Slate Delivers Cable's Seven Highest Game Ratings for the Week

College football's week 9 delivered successes across ESPN and ABC, as ESPN's ratings were up 56% for its Saturday slate and ABC aired the highest-rated primetime game, marking the eighth consecutive week that ESPN/ABC aired the sport's highest-rated primetime game. Together, the two networks combined to air three of the four highest-rated games, while ESPN's entire seven-game schedule represented cable's seven highest-rated games in week 9.

ESPN's Collective 56% Ratings Increase on Saturday a Result of Individual Window Successes: Noon, Late Afternoon and Primetime All Up Significantly Year-Over-Year

ESPN's collective 56% ratings increase on Saturday was generated by individual game window successes, with the network's noon, late afternoon and primetime windows all up significantly year-over-year. Iowa at Penn State (3;30 p.m. ET) delivered a 1.8 overnight, cable's highest-rated game in the last afternoon time slot this season and up 157% from the same game window last year. The network's primetime audience was up 63% year-over-year for Texas A&M at Mississippi State (7 p.m.) and its early window audience up 23% for Purdue at Michigan State (noon). The Boilermakers-Spartans game delivered a 1.6 overnight, while the Aggies-Bulldogs earned a 1.3, representing the second and third highest-rated cable games of the week, respectively.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Continues to Lead in Primetime; Network Began Saturday with Sport's Highest-Rated Game in Early Window

ABC'S Saturday Night Football featuring Texas at Oklahoma State (8 p.m.) and Clemson at Florida State (noon) were the highest-rated primetime and noon window games, respectively, on any network for the week. The 2.5 overnight for the Tigers-Seminoles game topped its broadcast competition by 48% in that same window, while also equaling ABC's rating for the same game window last year in week 9. The Longhorns-Cowboys matchup generated a 2.4 overnight, also keeping pace with the network's Saturday Night Football game from the same week last season.

ESPN's "Monday Night Football": 49ers-Packers Up 38 Percent Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, October 15.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's "Monday Night Football": 49ers-Packers Up 38 Percent Year-Over-Year
MNF's Best Year-Over-Year Increase of the Season

Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:30 p.m. ET) - a Green Bay Packers' last-second 33-30 victory over the San Francisco 49ers - earned an 8.4 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is an increase of 38 percent vs. last year's Colts-Titans game (6.1) - MNF's best year-over-year increase of the season. Last night's game rating peaked from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET with a 10.4 metered market rating.

Local markets: In San Francisco, the game delivered a 5.9 rating on ESPN and an 11.0 rating on KGO-ABC, for a combined 16.9 rating in the market. In Milwaukee, the game delivered a 6.9 rating on ESPN and a 26.8 rating on WISN-ABC, for a combined 33.7 rating in the market.

The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Sacramento (14.9), New Orleans (14.8), Minneapolis-St. Paul (13.4), Norfolk, Va., (12.5), Chicago (11.1), Seattle-Tacoma (11.1), Richmond-Petersburg (10.9), Denver (10.8), Tampa-St. Pete (10.3) and Buffalo (10.1).
SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt - Up 39 Percent

Last night's postgame edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt earned a 2.5 metered market rating, an increase of 39 percent vs. last year's comparable program following the Colts-Titans game (1.8).

College Football Week 7: ABC's "Saturday Night Football" Up an Impressive 57% Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, October 13.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 7: ABC's "Saturday Night Football" Up an Impressive 57% Year-Over-Year; ABC/ESPN Air Three of the Four Highest-Rated College Football Games on Any Network
· ABC and ESPN Air Two Highest-Rated College Football Games in Primetime; Sixth Straight Saturday ABC/ESPN Televise the Sport's Highest-Rated Primetime Game Across All Networks
· ESPN Grows Ratings in Multiple Key Game Windows

· Detroit and Columbus Were Highest-Rated Local Markets for Michigan-Wisconsin
ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Wisconsin at Michigan (7:30 p.m. ET) delivered a 3.6 overnight rating, leading the way for ABC/ESPN in week 7 and generating a 57% year-over-year rating increase for the sport's signature franchise. Across all networks, ESPN/ABC combined to air three of the four highest-rated college football games of the week, including the two highest-rated primetime games. Overall, this marks the sixth straight Saturday that the highest-rated primetime game aired on either ESPN/ABC.

Missouri-Alabama Delivers Rating Increase for ESPN, Ties as Network's Highest-Rated Crimson Tide Game of '18

ESPN also delivered significant ratings in primetime as Missouri-Alabama (7 p.m.) delivered a 2.2 overnight, besting the network's cable competition by 266%. Year-over-year, ESPN grew its own ratings by 5%, as last season, the same game window also featured Alabama, with the Crimson Tide taking on Arkansas. This season, the overnight for the Crimson Tide victory ties as ESPN's highest-rated Alabama game of the year, equaling the Ole Miss game (Sept. 15) and besting two other games on ESPN/ESPN2 - vs. Arkansas State (Sept. 8) and at Arkansas (Oct. 6).

Detroit Market Leads the Way for ABC's Saturday Night Football; Columbus was Second Highest Rated

Detroit was the highest-rated local market for ABC's Saturday Night Football, with an 18.1 rating followed by Columbus (15.9) and Milwaukee (13.7). The complete top 10:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 18.1 Detroit
2 15.9 Columbus
3 13.7 Milwaukee
4 9.0 Dayton
5 7.8 Cleveland
6 6.2 Cincinnati
7 5.6 Minneapolis
5.6 Portland
9 5.1 Memphis
10 4.6 Oklahoma City

ESPN Grows Ratings in Multiple Game Windows in Week 7; Florida-Vanderbilt Ties as Highest-Rated Noon Game Window
ESPN's telecast of Florida and Vanderbilt (noon) delivered a 1.8 overnight, with the Gators' come-from-behind victory generating a 6% ratings increase from last year's same game window which also featured an SEC East clash (South Carolina at Tennessee). The overnight tied as the highest-rated college football game on any network in that time slot in week 7.
Regional Action in Late Afternoon Propels ABC/ESPN2

Regional action was featured across ABC/ESPN2 in the late afternoon window, with the entire country seeing Washington at Oregon and UCF at Memphis (3:30 p.m.). The game window, across both networks, delivered a 2.4 overnight, the sport's second best in that timeslot and third highest of the entire week, across all networks and timeslots. 

ESPN's "Monday Night Football": Redskins-Saints Up Four Percent Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, October 8.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's "Monday Night Football": Redskins-Saints Up Four Percent Year-Over-Year
Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:30 p.m. ET) - where New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees became the NFL's all-time passing yards leader and led his team to a 43-19 victory over the Washington Redskins - earned a 7.3 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is an increase of four percent vs. last year's Vikings-Bears game (7.0). Last night's game rating peaked from 9:15-9:45 p.m. ET with a 9.2 metered market rating.

Local markets: In Washington D.C., the game delivered an 8.9 rating on ESPN and an 11.7 rating on WJLA-ABC, for a combined 20.6 rating in the market. In New Orleans, the game delivered a 16.5 rating on ESPN and a 37.0 rating on WDSU-NBC, for a combined 53.5 rating in the market. Redskins-Saints on ESPN is the highest-rated MNF game in New Orleans since 2014 (Saints vs. Bears delivered a 16.7 rating on ESPN).

The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Richmond-Petersburg (14.5), Norfolk (13.9), Kansas City (9.6), Dallas-Ft. Worth (9.5), Baltimore and Denver (9.2), Charlotte and Dayton (8.8), Minneapolis-St. Paul (8.7), Buffalo, Los Angeles and Seattle-Tacoma (8.6).
MNF is No. 1 Show on Monday as ESPN Wins the Night for Fifth Straight Week

NFL Record-Setting Night for Saints QB Drew Brees Averages 10.6 Million Viewers
Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:30 p.m. ET) - which featured New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees breaking Peyton Manning's all-time NFL passing yards record in a 43-19 victory over the Washington Redskins - averaged 10.6 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen. ESPN won the night among all networks, broadcast or cable, in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54). Redskins-Saints was also the highest-rated telecast of the night across all broadcast and cable networks among those same categories.

Through the first five weeks of the NFL season, MNF has helped ESPN win the night all five Mondays. For the second straight week, the MNF audience has had a year-over-year increase from 2017 (10.4 million viewers, Vikings-Bears in week 5).

· On ESPN, Redskins-Saints averaged a 6.3 US household rating and 10.5 million viewers. The telecast peaked from 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET with an 8.0 US household rating and 13.4 million viewers.
· On ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Redskins-Saints averaged an additional 89,000 viewers.

Local markets: In Washington D.C., the game delivered an 8.9 rating on ESPN and an 11.7 rating on WJLA-ABC, for a combined 20.6 rating in the market. In New Orleans, the game delivered a 16.5 rating on ESPN and a 37.0 rating on WDSU-NBC, for a combined 53.5 rating in the market.
Redskins-Saints on ESPN is the highest-rated MNF game in New Orleans since 2014 (Saints-Bears delivered a 16.7 rating on ESPN).

The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Richmond-Petersburg (14.5), Norfolk (13.9), Kansas City (9.6), Dallas-Ft. Worth (9.5), Baltimore and Denver (9.2), Charlotte and Dayton (8.8), Minneapolis-St. Paul (8.7), Buffalo, Los Angeles and Seattle-Tacoma (8.6).

Week 6 on ESPN's MNF:
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers host the San Francisco 49ers at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay during the 100th season of Packers football (Oct. 15 at 8:15 p.m. ET).

National League Wild Card Game on ESPN Platforms Up 59 Percent from 2017
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, October 2.

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[via press release from ESPN] National League Wild Card Game on ESPN Platforms Up 59 Percent From 2017
ESPN, ESPN2 Combine to Deliver 5.1 Metered Market Rating, Peaked with 6.0
ESPN's coverage of the 2018 MLB National League Wild Card Game presented by Hankook Tire was up 59 percent from the National League Wild Card Game in 2017, according to Nielsen. ESPN and ESPN2 combined to deliver a 5.1 metered market rating compared to a 3.2 last year. The telecasts combined to peak with a 6.0 metered market rating from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET.

Tuesday's ESPN-only telecast generated a 4.6 metered market rating. Additionally, ESPN2 first Wild Card alternative viewing experience drew a 0.5 metered market rating, making it one of ESPN's highest-rated alternative viewing experiences to date, across sports properties.

In the Denver market, ESPN and ESPN2 combined to draw a 18.6 rating, up 41 percent from the local Denver market rating for last year's National League Wild Card Game. The telecasts delivered an 18.1 rating in the Chicago market and an 11.9 rating in the Milwaukee market.

ESPN is expected to win the night across all of cable television for Tuesday, Oct. 2.
ESPN Platforms Draw More Than Seven Million Viewers for National League Wild Card Game
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes Combine to Outdraw 2017 NL Wild Card by 61 Percent and Outdraw 2017 AL Wild Card by Three Percent on ESPN

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes combined to draw 7,100,000 viewers for the 2018 MLB National League Wild Card Game presented by Hankook Tire. The 13-inning thriller, in which the Colorado Rockies defeated the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, became the fourth-most watched MLB Wild Card Game ever, according to Fast Nationals from Nielsen. Tuesday's telecast peaked across ESPN platforms with 8,400,000 viewers from 11-11:30 p.m. ET.

Tuesday's NL Wild Card Game telecasts outdrew the 2017 NL Wild Card Game by 61 percent, while also outdrawing the 2017 AL Wild Card Game on ESPN by two percent. ESPN won the night across all of cable television for Tuesday, Oct. 2.

ESPN's coverage of the 2018 MLB Postseason continues, as ESPN Radio will nationally broadcast every game, including the World Series. More information will be issued this week.

ESPN Delivers Its Two Highest-Rated Regular Season Afternoon Baseball Games in 20 Years for Historic MLB Tiebreaker Doubleheader
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, October 1.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Monday Night Football Overnight Rating Update
· Chiefs at Broncos - Up 8 Percent Versus Comparable Game a Year Ago

Last night's ESPN Monday Night Football game - a Kansas City Chiefs' 27-23 dramatic come-from-behind victory over their AFC West Division rival Denver Broncos - earned a 9.1 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is an increase of 8 percent compared to the 8.4 rating for the Redskins-Chiefs week 4 game in 2017. The game rating peaked from 11:00-11:15 p.m. ET with a 10.6 metered market rating.

The Monday Night Football debut of Kansas City's first year quarterback Patrick Mahomes also delivered the series' highest overnight rating since the 9.3 rating for Dallas-Arizona on September 25, 2017.

Local markets:
· In Kansas City, the game delivered a 15.5 rating on ESPN and a 30.3 rating on KMBC-ABC, for a combined 45.8 rating in the market.
· In Denver, the game delivered a 15.8 rating on ESPN and a 20.7 on KTVD-NBC, for a combined 36.5 rating in the market.

Top 10 markets:
The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (14.7), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (14.0), Washington, DC (12.5), Norfolk (12.0), Richmond-Petersburg (11.8), Baltimore (11.6), Sacramento (11.2), Tulsa (11.0), Phoenix (11.0), and San Diego (10.9).
Final numbers are expected late afternoon.

ESPN Delivers Its Two Highest-Rated Regular Season Afternoon Baseball Games in 20 Years for Historic MLB Tiebreaker Doubleheader
Record Regular Season Local Ratings on ESPN in Several Markets

On Monday, ESPN delivered its two highest-rated MLB regular season afternoon telecasts in 20 years (since 1998), according to metered market ratings from Nielsen. The Los Angeles Dodgers victory over the Colorado Rockies (4 p.m. ET start time), generated a 2.3 rating. Additionally, the Milwaukee Brewers victory over the Chicago Cubs (1 p.m. ET start time), drew a 1.9 rating. The historic MLB tiebreaker doubleheader averaged a 2.1 rating.

The Rockies vs. Dodgers game telecast generated record regular season local ratings on ESPN in both the Denver and Los Angeles markets. In the Denver market, the telecast drew a 9.0 rating, while in the Los Angeles market, the game drew a 6.9 rating.

The Brewers vs. Cubs game telecast delivered a 13.5 rating in the Milwaukee market, making it the highest-rated regular season MLB game on ESPN in the market. In Chicago, the telecast drew an 8.3 rating, making it the highest-rated regular season MLB game on ESPN since their World Series Championship banner-raising ceremony in April of 2017.

The tiebreaker doubleheader was part of another significant day of live sports on ESPN. For information on ESPN Monday Night Football's ratings increase, visit ESPN Media Zone.
The Cubs will host the Rockies in tonight's MLB National League Wild Card Game presented by Hankook Tire, exclusively on ESPN. The telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET and will be called by the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball team: Matt Vasgersian, Jessica Mendoza, Alex Rodriguez and Buster Olney. For more coverage details, including ESPN2's alternative viewing experience, visit ESPN Media Zone. 

ABC's "Saturday Night Football": Ohio State at Penn State Delivers Impressive 6.1 Overnight, Highest-Rated Game of the Season on Any Network
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 29.

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[via press release from ESPN] ABC's "Saturday Night Football": Ohio State at Penn State Delivers Impressive 6.1 Overnight, Highest-Rated Game of the Season on Any Network

· Setting the Bar: ABC/ESPN Have Aired Four of Five Highest-Rated Games of the Season
· Historically High Rating: Buckeyes-Nittany Lions Thriller Ranks Among ABC's Top 5 Highest-Rated September Saturday Games on Record

· ABC Leads the Way in Week 5: Airs Two Highest-Rated Games; Beats Broadcast Competition by 135% and 510% in Primetime

College football's week 5 resulted in ABC raising the bar among all networks once again, as ABC's Saturday Night Football aired the highest-rated game of the season when Ohio State-Penn State (7:30 p.m. ET) delivered an impressive 6.1 overnight. The Big Ten showdown is among the network's highest-rated September Saturday games on record and bested the broadcast competition by more than triple digits in week 5. ABC's primetime success completed a week which saw the network televise the two highest-rated games and grow its own ratings by 63% year-over-year across its tripleheader.

ABC's week 5 success continues a season-long trend, which now includes the network airing the top two highest-rated games among all networks. Among the top five highest-rated games, ESPN/ABC have aired four of them.

Ohio State-Penn State: Top Five Highest-Rated ABC September Saturday Games on Record
ABC's Saturday Night Football's strong overnight for the Buckeyes-Nittany Lions ranks among ABC's top 5 highest-rated September Saturday games on record dating back to 2004. Among all games on the network, the Buckeyes' 27-26 victory is the best regular season game on ABC/ESPN in more than a calendar year, dating back to the sport's Kickoff Weekend in 2017.

Fourth Quarter Delivers Impressive 8.2 Peak Overnight, Highest-Rated Peak Rating in the Sport this Season

Fans continued to tune into ABC's Saturday Night Football throughout the night, peaking at an impressive 8.2 rating as the Buckeyes completed a come-from-behind fourth quarter victory (11:15-11:30 p.m.), the highest overnight peak in college football this season among all networks.
Week 5: ABC Easily Airs Highest-Rated Game in Primetime; ESPN/ABC Will 'Win-the-Night' for Fourth Consecutive Saturday

ABC's Saturday Night Football was easily the highest-rated game in primetime in week 5, outpacing the broadcast competition by 135% and 510%, respectively. ABC is expected to easily "win the night" among all genres across all networks, broadcast and cable, when final numbers are in, which will result in ESPN/ABC "winning-the night" six times in the season's first five weeks of the season including fourth consecutive Saturday.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Airs Highest-Rated Games of 2018
Week 5 was the second time in three weeks that ABC's Saturday Night Football set a new season high among all networks, as the Buckeyes-Nittany Lions showdown topped the Ohio State-TCU showdown in week 3. As a result, the signature college football franchise has aired the two highest-rated games of the season.

Additional Ohio State-Penn State Highlights:
· SNF Up Triple Digits: The overnight for the Buckeyes' victory resulted in SNF being up 103% year-over-year
· Columbus Earns Top Billing: Columbus delivered a 43.3 local rating, the market's best on ABC dating back to 2016. The complete top 10 markets:
Rank Rating Market
1 43.3 Columbus, OH
2 26.6 Dayton
3 24.6 Cleveland
4 14.6 Cincinnati
5 13.5 Pittsburgh
6 12.7 Oklahoma City
7 12.6 Tulsa
8 10.7 Birmingham
9 10.6 Philadelphia
10 7.6 Atlanta
Syracuse at Clemson: ABC's Highest-Rated Noon Game Window Since 2016
ABC's telecast of Syracuse at Clemson (noon) delivered a 3.3 overnight, the network's best in that timeslot since 2016 and up 65% from the same game window last year. The rating peaked at an impressive 5.0 as the Tigers rallied in the fourth quarter (3:15-3:30 p.m.) 

"Monday Night Football" Helps ESPN Win the Night in Households, Viewers and All Key Male and Adult Demos
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, September 24.

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[via press release from ESPN] "Monday Night Football" Helps ESPN Win the Night in Households, Viewers and All Key Male and Adult Demos

Last night's Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:45 p.m. ET) - a Pittsburgh Steelers' 30-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - averaged 12.1 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen, helping ESPN win the night among all networks, broadcast or cable, in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54). Steelers-Buccaneers was also the highest-rated telecast of the night across all broadcast and cable networks among the same key male and adult demos.

· On ESPN, Steelers-Buccaneers averaged a 7.2 US household rating and 12.0 million viewers. The telecast peaked from 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET with an 8.3 US household rating and 13.9 million viewers.
· On ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Steelers-Buccaneers averaged an additional 107,000 viewers.
Local markets: In Pittsburgh, the game delivered a 9.1 rating on ESPN and a 31.9 rating on WTAE-ABC, for a combined 41.0 rating in the market. In Tampa Bay-St. Pete, the game delivered a 10.8 rating on ESPN and a 10.2 rating on WMOR-ABC, for a combined 21.0 rating in the market.
The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (15.2), Norfolk (13.6), Baltimore (13.5), Cleveland (12.6), Buffalo, Columbus and Richmond-Petersburg (11.4), Washington D.C. (11.2), Dayton (11.1), Kansas City (10.8).

Week 4 on ESPN's MNF: Von Miller and the Denver Broncos host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (Oct. 1 at 8:15 p.m. ET).

College Football Week 4: ABC's "Saturday Night Football" Leads in Prime-Time
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 22.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 4: ABC's "Saturday Night Football" Leads in Prime-Time; ESPN and ABC Combined to Air Two of the Three Highest-Rated Games on Any Network

· Stanford at Oregon: Highest-Rated Pac-12 Conference Game on ESPN/ABC Since 2014
· Georgia at Missouri: Cable's Highest-Rated Afternoon Game This Season and Best Noon Game Since 2016

· Saturday's ESPN Final Game Window Featuring Pac-12 Delivers Year-Over-Year Gains for Third Consecutive Week; Up 33% This Season

· ESPN Airs Top Five Games on Cable Including Two Best Games on Friday Night
College football's week four saw ABC's Saturday Night Football deliver the highest prime-time rating of any network, as ABC and ESPN combined to air two of the three highest rated games of the week while simultaneously setting multiyear superlative highs. The week also continued a trend for the season, as ESPN aired the five highest games on cable, including beating its cable competition head-to-head on Friday night and in every game window on Saturday.

ABC's Saturday Night Football: Stanford at Oregon Delivers Highest-Rated Pac-12 Conference Game Since 2014

ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Stanford at Oregon (8 p.m. ET) delivered a 3.0 overnight, the best overnight featuring two Pac-12 teams on ESPN/ABC since Nov. 22, 2014 (64 games, including seven SNF games). The overnight set the pace in primetime, beatings its broadcast competition by 58%.

The Cardinal-Ducks rating peaked at a 4.1 as the Cardinal completed their fourth quarter comeback which resulted in one overtime period (11:15 - 11:45 p.m.) Among local markets, Portland led the way with a 16.4 local rating. The complete top 10:
Rank Rating Market
1 16.4 Portland, OR
2 5.2 San Francisco
3 5.0 Seattle-Tacoma
4 4.6 Tulsa
5 4.5 Dayton
6 4.3 Los Angeles
7 4.1 Columbus, OH
8 3.9 Birmingham
9 3.8 New Orleans
3.8 Phoenix
Georgia at Missouri: Third Highest-Rated Game of the Day Across All Networks, Cable's Highest Noon Window Rating Since 2016

ESPN's telecast of Georgia vs. Missouri (noon) delivered a 2.3 overnight, the third best overnight of the day across all networks, and both cable's highest-rated noon window since the 2016 season and cable's second best Saturday overnight of the 2018 season. The overnight for the Bulldogs victory outpaced the cable competition yesterday by 187% in the same game window.

ESPN Experiences Year-Over-Year Overnight Gains in Saturday Final Window Featuring Pac-12 for Third Consecutive Week; Window Up 33% this Season

ESPN's telecast of Arizona State at Washington (10:30 p.m.) earned a 1.4 overnight, up 17% from the same window last year and the third consecutive week the network has experience year over year gains in the finale game window of the day. For the season, the window is up 33%. Leading into the Pac-12 showdown, Florida at Tennessee (7 p.m.) delivered a 1.5 overnight, as both games represented the second and third highest-rated cable games of the day. The overnight for the Gators' victory was up 200% from its cable competition.

Friday Night Ratings Began Weekend Success for ESPN
ESPN's week 4 success began Friday, as the network aired the two highest games of the night. Washington State at USC (10:30 p.m.) earned a 1.3 overnight while Florida Atlantic at UCF (1.0) earned a 1.0. Both games were among the top five highest-rated games on cable in week 4 and beat the cable competition that same night by 86% and 43%, respectively.

College GameDay Up 17% Year-Over-Year in Week 4
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (9 a.m.-noon) delivered a 1.4 overnight on ESPN and ESPNU for its live, pre-dawn show in Eugene, Oregon, up 17% from last year's week 4 show.

"Monday Night Football" Helps ESPN Win the Night Among All Networks
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, September 17.

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[via press release from ESPN] "Monday Night Football" Helps ESPN Win the Night among All Networks

Seahawks-Bears is No. 1 Telecast of the Night among Households, Viewers and All Key Male and Adult Demos

The Week 2 Monday Night Football game - a Chicago Bears 24-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks - helped ESPN win the night among all networks (broadcast or cable) in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49 and 25-54). This marks the second straight Monday that ESPN has won the night in all categories.

Yesterday's MNF game also ranked as the No. 1 telecast of the night (out-delivering the Emmy Awards) among households, viewers and all key male and adult demos.

Seahawks-Bears delivered a total live audience (TV + Streaming) of 11.8 million average viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

· On ESPN, the Seahawks-Bears game averaged a 7.0 US household rating and 11,720,000 viewers. The game peaked during the 9:15-9:30 p.m. quarter hour with an 7.9 US household rating and 13,377,000 viewers on ESPN

· On ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Seahawks-Bears averaged 129,000 viewers.
Local markets:

· In Seattle, the game delivered a 9.8 rating on ESPN and a 21.3 rating on KIRO-CBS, for a combined 31.1 rating in the market.

· In Chicago, the game delivered an 8.8 rating on ESPN and a 20.3 on WLS-ABC, for a combined 29.1 rating in the market.

The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (15.2), Denver (10.8), Kansas City (10.5), Raleigh-Durham (10.5), Columbus (10.4), Minneapolis (10.3), Las Vegas (10.2), Washington, DC (10.2), Portland, Ore. (9.8), and (tied) Buffalo and Philadelphia (9.5).
Additionally, the Week 2 post-game SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt is up nine percent year-over-year (3,052,000 vs. 2,797,000 viewers).

The 2018 Monday Night Football season continues next week with Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on September 24 (8:15 p.m. ET). 

College Football Week 3: ABC's "Saturday Night Football": Ohio State-TCU Is Highest-Rated Game of the Season on Any Network
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 15.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 3: ABC's Saturday Night Football: Ohio State-TCU is Highest-Rated Game of the Season on Any Network; ESPN and ABC Both Up 27% Year-Over-Year on Saturday
· ABC/ESPN Air Four of Six Highest-Rated Games Across All Networks, Up Year-Over-Year in Almost All Game Windows

· Buckeyes-Horned Frogs Earns 4.9 Overnight, Up 48% Year-Over-Year
· ESPN Grows Prime-Time Rating by 57%; ESPN/ESPN2 Airs Seven Highest-Rated Cable Games
College football's week 3 netted impressive results for both ABC and ESPN, as ABC's Saturday Night Football aired the highest-rated game of the season on any network and both networks were individually up 27% year-over-year on Saturday, Sept. 15. Led by SNF, ABC/ESPN combined to air four of the six highest-rated games across all networks while also generating year-over-year ratings increases in nearly every game window.

Ohio State vs. TCU Earns 4.9 Overnight, ABC's Highest-Rated Regular Season Game in More than Calendar Year

ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Ohio State vs. TCU (8 p.m. ET) is the highest-rated game of the 2018 college football season across all networks, as the Buckeyes' 40-28 victory delivered a 4.9 overnight -- ABC's highest rating for a regular season game in more than a calendar year (Oklahoma at Ohio State on Sept. 9, 2017). Season to date, ABC/ESPN now have aired three of the four highest-rated games across all networks.

Additional Buckeyes-Horned Frogs Superlatives:
· Overnight Up Nearly 50%: ABC's SNF was up 48% from last year's week 3 game (Clemson at Louisville)

· Leading the Way in Prime-Time: ABC outpaced the broadcast competition by 113% in prime-time.
· Big Plays Lead to Peak Overnight: The overnight peaked at 5.9 during an explosive third quarter, in which 34 points were scored between the two teams (10:45-11 p.m.)

· Columbus' Rating Best on ABC/ESPN Since '16: Columbus was the No. 1 market, earning a 41.1 rating, notably higher than the aforementioned Oklahoma-Ohio State game last season. The market's rating was the best on ABC/ESPN in the regular season since November 2016. The complete top 10:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 41.1 Columbus, OH
2 23.2 Dayton
3 20.9 Cleveland
4 12.5 Cincinnati
5 11.3 Oklahoma City
6 9.2 Tulsa
7 9.1 Dallas-Ft. Worth
8 7.8 Nashville
9 7.4 Knoxville
10 7.2 Birmingham
ABC Up Year-Over-Year in Every Game Window; Oklahoma-Iowa State Among Highest-Rated Games of the Day

ABC SNF concluded a tripleheader which saw the network grow its audience in every single game window, as Oklahoma-Iowa State (noon) earned a 2.6 overnight, up 4% from last year, and BYU-Wisconsin (3:30 p.m.) earned a 2.1 overnight, up 24% from last year. The overnight for the Sooners' victory was the third-highest overnight of the day among all networks.

Alabama-Ole Miss is Cable's Second Highest Saturday Game of the Season; ESPN Up Big in Prime-time

Alabama at Ole Miss (7 p.m.) earned a 2.2 overnight, cable's second highest rated Saturday game of the season trailing only ESPN's telecast of Clemson-Texas A&M in week 2 (3.0 overnight). The overnight for the Crimson Tide's impressive victory was up 57% year-over-year, and peaked early at 3.7 overnight as Alabama extended their lead in the first half (7:30-7:45 p.m.).

ESPN Sees Year-Over-Year Growth in Nearly Every Game Window; Easily Sets Pace among Cable Competition in Every Game Window

Florida State at Syracuse (noon) earned a 1.3 overnight and Washington at Utah (10:15 p.m.) delivered a 1.2 overnight, up 18% and 50%, respectively, year-over-year, continuing a trend seen throughout the day on ESPN/ABC. Among its cable competition, ESPN's networks aired the seven highest-rated games and nine of the top 10, including the best in each of the game windows. In addition to the aforementioned primetime window:
· Noon: ESPN and ESPN2 aired the two highest-rated games, beating the competition by 333% and 33%. ESPNU and ESPNEWS equaled the competition in that window.
· Late Afternoon: ESPN topped the cable competition by 350%
· Final Game Window: ESPN surpassed the cable competition by 500%

"Monday Night Football" Helps ESPN Win the Night in Households, Viewers and All Key Male and Adult Demos
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, September 10.

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[via press release from ESPN] Monday Night Football Helps ESPN Win the Night in Households, Viewers and All Key Male and Adult Demos

Jets-Lions and Rams-Raiders: Highest-Rated Telecasts of the Night across All Networks
Last night's 2018 season-opening Monday Night Football doubleheader averaged 10.1 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen, helping ESPN win the night among all networks, broadcast or cable, in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54). Jets-Lions and Rams-Raiders were the two highest-rated telecasts of the night across all broadcast and cable networks.

New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions
The early game (7:15-10:15 p.m. ET) - a New York Jets' 48-17 victory over the Detroit Lions - averaged 10.4 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen.
· On ESPN, Jets-Lions averaged a 6.2 US household rating and 10.3 million viewers. The telecast peaked from 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET with a 7.6 US household rating and 12.8 million viewers.
· On ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Jets-Lions averaged an additional 112,000 viewers.

Local markets: In New York, the game delivered a 7.7 rating on ESPN and a 5.0 rating on WPIX-CW, for a combined 12.7 rating in the market. In Detroit, the game delivered an 8.7 rating on ESPN and a 16.7 on WXYZ-ABC, for a combined 25.4 rating in the market.

The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): New Orleans (12.1), Buffalo (11.8), Norfolk (11.7), Baltimore (10.0), Washington, DC and Minneapolis-St. Paul (9.9), Philadelphia (9.8), Jacksonville (9.2), West Palm Beach, Columbus and Hartford & New Haven (9.1).

Los Angeles Rams vs. Oakland Raiders
The late game (10:15 p.m.-1:30 a.m. ET) - the regular season debut for ESPN's new Monday Night Football commentator team and a Los Angeles Rams' 33-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders - averaged 9.7 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen.
· On ESPN, Rams-Raiders averaged a 5.9 US household rating and 9.6 million viewers. The telecast peaked from 10:45-11 p.m. ET with a 7.5 US household rating and 12.5 million viewers.

· On ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Rams-Raiders averaged an additional 102,000 viewers.

Local markets: In Los Angeles, the game delivered a 10.1 rating on ESPN and a 6.6 rating on KABC-ABC, for a combined 16.7 rating in the market. In San Francisco (this market includes Oakland and San Jose), the game delivered a 9.9 rating on ESPN and a 9.2 on KGO-ABC, for a combined 19.1 rating in the market.

The top metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Sacramento (14.0), New Orleans (12.3), San Diego (11.8), Las Vegas (11.1), Seattle-Tacoma (11.0), Phoenix (10.6), Portland (9.1), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (9.0), Kansas City (8.4), Denver, Philadelphia and San Antonio (8.1).
Additionally, the Week 1 post-game SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt is up five percent year-over-year (2,211,000 vs. 2,112,000 viewers).

Week 2 on ESPN's MNF: The Chicago Bears host the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 17.

College Football Week 2: Clemson at Texas A&M on ESPN Is Most-Watched Game on Any Network
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 8.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 2: Clemson at Texas A&M on ESPN is Most-Watched Game on Any Network
· ESPN/ABC Air Three of the Four Most-Watched Games; ESPN/ESPN2 Air Top Five Games on Cable
· Tigers-Aggies: Propels ESPN to 'Win the Night'; Generates 33% Increase in Audience Year-Over-Year

· Michigan State-Arizona State: Nearly 2.3 Million Viewers for Saturday's Final Game Window
ESPN led the way in college football's second week, airing the most-watched game among all networks - broadcast and cable - and, combined with ABC, three of the top four games. The two networks also shined in prime-time, as ESPN and ABC aired the two most-watched games among all the competition, and factoring in ESPN's final game window of the day, the three most-watched Saturday night games across broadcast and cable.

ESPN Draws Best Audience in Week 2, Ranks First in All Key Audience Demos
Clemson at Texas A&M (7 p.m.) on ESPN delivered a Nielsen total live audience of 4,486,000 viewers, the most-watched game of the weekend and cable's second most-watched regular season Saturday game since November 2016. The thrilling ACC-SEC matchup propelled ESPN to 'win the night' among all broadcast and cable networks, as the network ranked first in all key demos including: households, viewers, men 18-34, men 18-49, and people 18-34. ESPN has now 'won the night' among viewers twice this college football season, and led all networks in the key men 18-34 demo in four nights this season. Combined with ABC, the two networks have led in the demo five times.

Additional Tigers-Aggies Highlights:
· Significant Audience Increases: The nearly 4.5 million viewers is up 33% from ESPN's similar window last year, which also featured Clemson, as the Tigers hosted Auburn.
· High Drama Peaks Audience: The audience peaked at nearly 6 million viewers as the Aggies attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game with under one minute to go (10:30 - 10:41 p.m.).
· ESPN/ABC Lead in Prime-Time: ESPN topped the broadcast competition by 96% and its cable competition by 1035%. ABC's Saturday Night Football Penn State at Pitt (8 p.m.) beat its broadcast competition by 43%.

Michigan State-Arizona State Draws Substantial Audience, Up 81% Year-Over-Year
Michigan State at Arizona State (10:45 p.m.) delivered a Nielsen total live audience of 2,297,000 viewers, the most-watched finale Saturday game window since October of last season (Washington at Arizona State). The viewership for the Sun Devils' last-second victory was up 81% year over year (Boise State vs. Washington State) and was the third most-watched game Saturday night behind Clemson-Texas A&M and Penn State at Pitt.

ESPN/ESPN2 Air Five Most-Watched Games on Cable; ESPN2 Sees Audience Growth
ESPN2 joined ESPN in airing the most-watched games on cable, as the network's airing of Arkansas State-Alabama (1,663,000 viewers) and TCU-SMU (1,076,000 viewers) were in the top five most-watched cable games in week 2. Mississippi State at Kansas State on ESPN had a Nielsen total live audience of 1,800,000 viewers, joining the aforementioned Clemson-Texas A&M and Michigan State-Arizona State games as the only games to generate a larger cable audience.

The audience for the Crimson Tide's victory is the second most-watched game on ESPN2 since Alabama's last appearance (Sept. 9, 2017), while the Friday night telecast was up 11% and the Saturday primetime telecast up 8%.

College GameDay Continues Fast Start, Sees Double-Digit Audience Growth
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot averaged 1,792,000 viewers across ESPN and ESPNU for its show from College Station, Texas, up 13% from last year's week 2 telecast from Columbus, Ohio.

US Open on ESPN: Most-Watched Since 2015
ESPN further spins the numbers for its coverage to date.

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[via press release from ESPN] US Open on ESPN: Most-Watched since 2015
ESPN's presentation of the US Open was seen by an average of 1,036,000 viewers (P2+), up 9% from last year (949,000) and the most for the event since 2015, ESPN's first year of exclusivity (1,265,000). Three of this year's telecasts rank in the top 10 of ESPN's all-time 226 US Open telecasts, starting in 2009:

· The most-watched telecast this year was the Women's Championship on September 8 - Naomi Osaka defeating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 - which earned a 1.9 rating and an average of 3,101,000 viewers, ranking third all-time. It is the most-watched US Open Women's Championship in ESPN's four years covering the whole tournament.

· At #7, the Men's Championship on September 9 - Novak Djokovic winning his third US Open and 14th Major title over Juan Martin del Potro - posted a 1.3 rating with an average of 2,065,000 viewers. It is the most-watched US Open Men's Championship since 2015.

· Ranking eighth on ESPN's list, the August 31 Third Round match between Venus and Serena Williams drew a 1.2 rating, averaging 1,965,000 viewers.

Overall, ESPN presented 156 hours of television from the US Open, 13% more than the scheduled 137, thanks to late-night tennis running past the scheduled telecast window (eight nights went past midnight ET).

The 10 highest-rated markets for the US Open were West Palm Beach (1.9), Washington DC (1.6), Richmond (1.4), New York (1.3) tied for fourth with Norfolk and Tampa, New Orleans (1.2), Columbus (OH) and Atlanta (1.1) and San Francisco (1.0).

ESPN and Tennis
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air, providing numerous memorable moments from around the world, but it has never been as important as today, with the unprecedented position of presenting three of the sports Major events from start to finish (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, with exclusivity at the latter two.

US Open Women's Championship: Tied for ESPN's Second-Best US Open Overnight Rating of All Time
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 8.

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[via press release from ESPN] US Open Women's Championship: Tied for ESPN's Second-Best US Open Overnight Rating of all Time

· Compelling Tennis, Controversy Drive Rating up 32% vs. 2017's All-American Final
ESPN's presentation of the US Open Women's Championship - Naomi Osaka, just 20, shocking the legendary Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 with action on and off the court as controversy engulfed the second set - posted a 2.5 rating for the match itself and a 2.4 for the full three-hour telecast.
The rating for the compelling matchup of newcomer challenging her childhood idol is tied for the second-highest in ESPN's entire US Open history (225 telecasts starting in 2009, exclusivity since 2015) with the 2015 Men's Championship (Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer). The only higher overnight rating, a 2.7, was a prime-time 2015 window of quarterfinal action that included Serena playing her sister Venus and Novak Djokovic vs. Feliciano Lopez.

The 2.4 overnight rating is up 32% from last year (1.9 for Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys of the U.S.) and 79% higher than 2016 (1.4 for Angelique Kerber vs. Karolina Pliskova).

Last night's rating peaked in the final quarter hour of the match (5:30 - 5:45 p.m. ET) at a 3.3.
The five highest-rated markets were West Palm Beach (6.0), Washington DC (5.5), Richmond (5.1), New York (4.5) and Norfolk (3.8).

ESPN and Tennis
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air, providing numerous memorable moments from around the world, but it has never been as important as today, with the unprecedented position of presenting three of the sports Major events from start to finish (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, with exclusivity at the latter two.

"Monday Night Football" Preseason Game on ESPN Up 11 Percent Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, August 16.

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[via press release from ESPN] "Monday Night Football" Preseason Game on ESPN Up 11 Percent Year-Over-Year
Last night's Monday Night Football preseason game on ESPN - a Washington Redskins' 15-13 victory over the New York Jets - earned a 2.1 overnight rating according to Nielsen, based on the metered markets. This is an increase of 11 percent compared to ESPN's 2017 preseason opener (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars). The game rating peaked from 9-9:15 p.m. ET with a 2.3 metered market rating.

This game also marked the preseason debut for ESPN's new Monday Night Football commentator team of play-by-play voice Joe Tessitore, analysts Jason Witten and Booger McFarland, and reporter Lisa Salters.

In New York, the game delivered a 2.0 rating on ESPN and a 4.1 rating on WABC-ABC, for a combined 6.1 rating in the market. In Washington, the game delivered a 4.3 rating on ESPN and a 6.3 on WJLA-ABC, for a combined 10.6 rating in the market.

The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Richmond-Petersburg (5.7), Norfolk (5.1), New Orleans (4.7), Kansas City (4.1), Raleigh-Durham (3.7), Baltimore and Charlotte (3.4), Louisville and West Palm Beach (3.2), Jacksonville and Nashville (3.0).

Additionally, the Thursday night edition of Monday Night Countdown is up 40 percent year-over-year (0.7 vs. 0.5).

ESPN Grows Audience in Second Quarter; Prime Time Up 10 Percent
ESPN further spins the numbers for the quarter to date.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Grows Audience in Second Quarter; Prime Time up 10 Percent
ESPN grew its audience in the second quarter of the year, including a rise of 10% in prime time where all the key male and adult demo groups grew 6-12%.

ESPN's prime-time audience was up in large part because of the NBA Playoffs. The network averaged 1,544,000 viewers (P2+), compared to 1,405,000 a year ago, according to Nielsen. Overall, the network's audience rose fractionally, from 604,000 to 607,000. ESPN ranked as the top full-time cable network in total day audience among M18-34, M18-49, and M25-54.

Highlights in the second quarter of 2018:
· The NBA Playoffs on ESPN (19 games) averaged 5,144,000 viewers, up 30 percent from 2017. It is the second-most watched NBA Playoffs ever on ESPN (back to 2003).

· First Take led cable in all key male demos (18-34, 18-49 and 25-54) during its 10 a.m. - noon ET time slot, as it has done every month of 2018. The show's audience is up 2% year to date.

· The NCAA baseball post-season (66 games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS) was up 15% to an average of 550,000 viewers, P2+).

· The WNBA on ESPN2 audience is up 39% after seven games (to 250,000), including the network's most-viewed WNBA regular-season telecast since 2013.

· The midnight edition of SportsCenter was up 12% (to 744,000 impressions).
· The 6 p.m. of SportsCenter was up 5% (to 497,000 impressions).

ESPN Matches Its Highest-Rated NBA Game Ever with 9.1 Metered Market Rating for Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, May 27.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Matches its Highest-Rated NBA Game Ever with 9.1 Metered Market Rating for Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
Highest-Rated Quarter Hour for NBA Game on ESPN: 12.0 Peak Rating
ESPN matched its highest-rated NBA game ever with a 9.1 metered market rating for the Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, according to Nielsen. It matched Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals: the Miami Heat and LeBron James vs. the Boston Celtics. Last night's telecast peaked with a 12.0 rating from 10:45-11 p.m. ET. It is the highest-rated quarter hour of an NBA game on ESPN, as far as records go back.
Based on metered market ratings, Game 7 on ESPN was the highest-rated telecast across all of television for Sunday, May 27. The top five highest-rated local markets were Cleveland (27.6), Boston (21.9), Columbus (15.1), Providence (14.4) and New Orleans (12.9). The 21.9 rating in Boston is the highest-rated NBA Playoffs game ever on ESPN in the market.

Sunday's telecast is now the highest-rated game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. ESPN's Conference Finals coverage averaged a 6.3 metered market rating, up 37 percent from the same matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals last year and up 34 percent from its Western Conference Finals coverage in 2017. Overall, the 2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN - 19 games - averaged a 3.8 metered market rating, up 31 percent from last year.

The 2018 NBA Finals on ABC will tip off Thursday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James will visit either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in Game 1.
Note: NBA Finals analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson will be available on a media conference call tomorrow (Tuesday) at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the event. Media members can call 866-548-4713 with the passcode 7186383.

ESPN Draws Second-Largest Audience Ever for NBA Game on ESPN: 13,305,000 Viewers (Based on Fast Nationals from Nielsen)

Largest Peak Audience Ever for NBA Game on ESPN: 17,463,000 Viewers from 10:30-11 P.M. ET
2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN (19 Games): Second-Most Watched Ever and Up 30 Percent from 2017
ESPN drew its second-largest NBA audience ever for the Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals Game 7. It averaged 13,305,000 viewers, peaking with 17,463,000 viewers from 10:30-11 p.m. ET. It is the largest peak audience ever for an NBA game on ESPN. The data is based on Fast Nationals from Nielsen. Once all streaming and out-of-home viewership is included, last night's Game 7 is expected to be the most-watched NBA game ever on ESPN.

The audience is currently only 41,000 viewers behind 2012 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 - the Miami Heat and LeBron James vs. the Boston Celtics.

Based on Fast Nationals from Nielsen, ESPN is expected to win the night across all of television for its coverage of NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 7. Last night's telecast is now the most-watched game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs across networks.

The 2018 Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN averaged 8,449,000 viewers, up 34 percent from last year's Eastern Conference Finals, also a Cleveland vs. Boston series. It was up 29 percent from the 2017 Western Conference Finals - the Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs - on ESPN.
Overall, the 2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN (19 games) averaged 5,101,000 viewers, up 30 percent from 2017. It is the second-most watched NBA Playoffs ever on ESPN (back to 2003).
The 2018 NBA Finals on ABC will tip off Thursday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James will visit either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in Game 1. 

ESPN's Most-Watched NBA Conference Finals Game 6 Since 2012
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, May 25.

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[via press release from ESPN]ESPN's Most-Watched NBA Conference Finals Game 6 Since 2012
· Average Audience of 8,089,000 Viewers, Peaked with 10,336,000 Viewers
· ESPN's Coverage of Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Wins The Night Across Television
· Game 7 is Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App

Last night's Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the Boston Celtics was ESPN's most-watched NBA Conference Finals Game 6 since 2012, according to Fast Nationals from Nielsen. The telecast averaged 8,089,000 viewers, peaking with 10,336,000 viewers from 10:30-11 p.m. ET.
The game was up 42 percent from the last time ESPN televised a Conference Finals Game 6 - Cleveland vs. Toronto - in 2016. ESPN won the night across all of television (broadcast and cable) for Friday, May 25.

Through six games, ESPN's coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals is averaging 7,640,000 viewers, up 21 percent from last year's Eastern Conference Finals between Cleveland and Boston. It is up 16 percent from last year's Western Conference Finals - the Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs - on ESPN.

The 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals culminates with Game 7 on Sunday, May 27 (tomorrow), at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App. Mike Breen, analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and reporter Doris Burke will call Game 7. Additionally, Game 7 is available on ESPN Radio and the ESPN App with Adam Amin describing the action alongside analyst Jon Barry. NBA Countdown tips off the evening's coverage at 7:30 p.m. with Michelle Beadle, Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups and Jalen Rose.

The 2018 NBA Finals, exclusively on ABC, begins on Thursday, May 31, at 9 p.m.

ESPN's Coverage of NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 Up 30 Percent From 2017
ESPN spins the numbers for Wednesday, May 23.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's Coverage of NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 Up 30 Percent From 2017
· 5.7 Metered Market Rating is Best Across All of Television for Wednesday
· ESPN's Highest-Rated Conference Finals in Six Years
· 2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN Up 17 Percent From Last Year

ESPN's coverage of NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 - the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 3-2 series lead - delivered a 5.7 metered market rating, up 30 percent from Game 5 of the same matchup last year. It was the highest-rated telecast of the night across television based on metered market ratings from Nielsen.

This is now ESPN's highest-rated Conference Finals in six years, since Boston vs. Miami in 2012. The 2018 Eastern Conference Finals is averaging a 5.8 metered market rating through five games. Overall, the 2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN is averaging a 3.4 metered market rating, up 17 percent from last year.

Wednesday's Game 5 telecast peaked with a 7.0 rating from 10:45-11 p.m. ET. The top five local markets were Cleveland (21.3), Boston (14.4), Columbus (11.0), Providence (9.9) and New Orleans (8.9).

The series will continue with Game 6 on Friday, May 25, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN, the ESPN App, ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes. NBA Countdown will precede the game with a one-hour pre-game show starting at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App.

ESPN Draws Its Highest-Rated Conference Finals Game 4 in Six Years
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, May 21.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Draws Its Highest-Rated Conference Finals Game 4 in Six Years
· 6.1 Metered Market Rating Up 45 Percent vs. ESPN's Coverage of Western Conference Finals Game 4 in 2017
· Up 15 Percent from Same Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 Matchup Last Year
· ESPN's Conference Finals Ratings Up 23 Percent Year Over Year

ESPN drew its highest-rated Conference Finals Game 4 in six years for the Cleveland Cavaliers' victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night, according to Nielsen. The telecast delivered a 6.1 metered market rating, up 45 percent from ESPN's coverage of the Western Conference Finals Game 4 (Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs, 4.2) in 2017, and up 15 percent from the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 - also a Cleveland vs. Boston matchup - that drew a 5.3 rating.
Through four games, the ESPN's Eastern Conference Finals coverage is up 23 percent from its Western Conference Finals series last year and from the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. Overall, ESPN's 2018 NBA Playoffs metered market ratings are up 10 percent from last year.
Monday's telecast peaked with a 7.2 rating from 11-11:15 p.m. ET. The top five local markets were Cleveland (24.6), Boston (12.9), Columbus (12.1), New Orleans (10.4) and Providence (9.2).
Additionally, NBA Countdown on ESPN generated a 1.3 metered market rating, up eight percent from the corresponding Game 4 pre-game show last year.

The next installment of Detail, the high-level basketball analysis and film study show from ESPN and Kobe Bryant's Granity Studios, will be available today (Tuesday), exclusively on ESPN+. Kobe Bryant will break down Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets Game 3 from the vantage point of Stephen Curry.

The 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals will continue on ESPN with Game 5 on Wednesday, May 23, at 8:30 p.m. as the Boston Celtics host the Cleveland Cavaliers. The series is currently tied 2-2.

Second-Highest Rated NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Ever on ESPN
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, May 19.

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[via press release from ESPN] Second-Highest Rated NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Ever on ESPN
5.1 Metered Market Rating Up 11 Percent from ESPN's Western Conference Finals Game 3 Last Year; Up Two Percent from Same Eastern Conference Finals Matchup in 2017
ESPN's NBA Eastern Conference Finals Up Double-digits from Both Conference Finals Series Last Year

ESPN's coverage of the Cleveland Cavaliers decisive victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night became the network's second-highest rated NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 ever, according to Nielsen. The telecast drew a 5.1 metered market rating, up 11 percent from ESPN's Western Conference Finals Game 3 last year, and up two percent from the same Eastern Conference Finals matchup in 2017.

Despite Cleveland's dominating 30-point victory over Boston, the telecast peaked with a 5.7 metered market rating three times: 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET, 10-10:15 p.m. and 10:15-10:30 p.m. The top five local markets were Cleveland (22.1), Boston (11.9), Columbus (9.7), Dayton (8.2), and Providence (8.0).
Through three games, ESPN's Eastern Conference Finals coverage is up 19 percent from its Western Conference Finals coverage - Golden State vs. San Antonio - in 2017. It is up 27 percent from last year's Cleveland vs. Boston Eastern Conference Finals series. Metered market ratings for the 2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN are up seven percent year over year.

Additionally, Saturday night's edition of NBA Countdown delivered a 1.3 metered market rating, up eight percent from last year's one-hour Game 3 preview show.

The latest episode of Detail, the high-level basketball analysis and film study show from ESPN and Kobe Bryant, will be available today (Sunday) exclusively on ESPN+. Bryant will break down last night's Game 3.

The 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals will continue with Game 4 on Monday, May 21, at 8:30 p.m. Mike Breen will provide commentary with analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and reporter Doris Burke. The telecast is also available to stream via the ESPN App. Boston currently leads Cleveland 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. 

NBA on ESPN: Highest-Rated Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 in Six Years
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, May 15.

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[via press release from ESPN] NBA on ESPN: Highest-Rated Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 In Six Years
6.5 Metered Market Rating Up 71 Percent From Same Matchup Last Year
Up 51 Percent from ESPN's Western Conference Finals Game 2 Last Year
Game 2 Peaked with 8.0 Metered Market Rating

ESPN's coverage of the Boston Celtics victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday generated a 6.5 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 since 2012. It was also ESPN's highest-rated Conference Finals telecast since Game 5 of the 2015 Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets series, according to Nielsen.

Last night's Game 2 was up 71 percent from last year's Eastern Conference Finals Game 2, featuring the same matchup. It was also up 51 percent from ESPN's Western Conference Finals Game 2 in 2017.

Tuesday's telecast, in which the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the Cavaliers, peaked with an 8.0 metered market rating in the final quarter hour - 10:45 p.m.-11 p.m. ET.

In the Boston market, the game generated a 16.0 rating, making it the highest-rated NBA game on ESPN in the market since the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. In Cleveland, the telecast generated a 24.4 rating. The rest of the top five markets included Columbus (11.4), Providence (10.9) and San Francisco (9.0).

The Eastern Conference Finals continues with Game 3 on Saturday, May 19, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN, the ESPN App, ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart tips off the coverage at 7:30 p.m.

In addition, the next installment of Kobe Bryant's Detail will feature the five-time NBA Champion breaking down Game 2 from the vantage point of Boston Celtics rookie sensation Jayson Tatum. The show is expected to be available this Thursday, exclusively on ESPN+.

NBA on ABC: Highest-Rated NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Since 2015
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, May 13.

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[via press release from ESPN] NBA on ABC: Highest-Rated NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Since 2015
· Boston vs. Cleveland Game 1 Draws 5.4 Metered Market Rating, Up 15 Percent from Same Matchup Last Year and Up 32 Percent from 2016

· Game 1 was Highest-Rated Live Sports Event of the Weekend

Sunday's NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 on ABC - the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-83 - generated a 5.4 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 since 2015, according to Nielsen. It was up 15 percent from the same matchup last year (4.7) and up 32 percent from 2016 when Cleveland vs. Toronto drew a 4.1.
Sunday's Game 1 broadcast peaked with a 6.5 rating from 5:30-5:45 p.m. Based on the metered market data, Game 1 was the highest-rated live sports event of the weekend.

Through nine games, the 2018 NBA Playoffs on ABC is averaging a 4.4 metered market rating, up seven percent from 2017.

The 2018 Eastern Conference Finals continues Tuesday, May 15, with Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. exclusively on ESPN. ESPN will also offer a second-screen experience called Full Court Press on ESPN2. Prior to Game 2, ESPN will televise the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm from 7:30-8:30 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart will tip off the evening's coverage at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

NBA Playoffs on ABC: Cleveland-Indiana Game 7 Delivers 5.4 Metered Market Rating to Become Highest-Rated First Round Game in 14 Years
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, April 29.

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[via press release from ESPN] NBA Playoffs on ABC: Cleveland-Indiana Game 7 Delivers 5.4 Metered Market Rating To Become Highest-Rated First Round Game in 14 Years
Game 7 Peaks with 7.4 Rating

ABC's coverage of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers Game 7 on Sunday generated a 5.4 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated first round NBA Playoffs telecast in 14 years across networks, according to Nielsen. The 5.4 rating was up 29 percent from last year's comparable game - LA Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Game 7, which drew a 4.2 rating.

Game 7 on ABC peaked from 3:30-3:45 p.m. ET with a 7.4 rating. In the Cleveland market, Game 7 generated a 24.6 rating, making it the highest-rated first round NBA Playoffs game since 2010. In Indianapolis, Game 7 drew a 21.6 rating, which is the best rating ever for a first round game in the market.

The last time a first round NBA Playoffs game drew a higher rating was on April 25, 2004 when the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets broadcast on ABC delivered a 5.8 rating. There have been 625 nationally televised first round games since then.

Additionally, ABC's coverage of Game 1 between the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz on Sunday delivered a 4.4 metered market rating, up 38 percent from last year's comparable game - Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards, which drew a 3.2 rating. The 4.4 rating also outdrew every second round telecast from 2017. The broadcast generated a 12.1 rating in the Salt Lake City market and an 11.9 rating in the Houston market.

Through six broadcasts, the 2018 NBA Playoffs on ABC is averaging a 4.2 metered market rating, up 11 percent from 2017.

In addition to the NBA Playoffs, ESPN and ABC combined for a significant weekend of major live sports, including the NFL Draft and Sunday Night Baseball, with all events generating ratings success.

The NBA Playoffs will continue on ESPN this Thursday, May 3, at 6 p.m. when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. The NBA Playoffs on ABC will continue on Saturday, May 5, at 8:30 p.m. for Game 3 of the Cavaliers-Raptors series. On Sunday, May 6, ABC will broadcast Game 3 between the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans at 3:30 p.m. ESPN's full schedule and coverage plans will be issued this week.

ESPN Presentation of 2018 NFL Draft Delivers More Than 2.9 Million Viewers
ESPN further spins the numbers for its coverage to date.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Presentation of 2018 NFL Draft Delivers More Than 2.9 Million Viewers
· Round 1 on ESPN Led All Networks
· Rounds 4-7 on ESPN and ABC Ranks as Most-Viewed Day 3 Across All Networks in NFL Draft History

ESPN's three-day presentation of the 2018 NFL Draft (Rounds 1-7) averaged a 1.9 household rating and 2,906,000 viewers over the nearly 15 hours across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ABC, according to Nielsen.

Note: The NFL Draft audience is likely to grow by eight percent once all streaming and out-of-home audiences are included, based on ESPN's new Nielsen Total Audience measurement.

The top 10 metered markets: Columbus (4.4), New Orleans (4.2), Cleveland (3.9), Buffalo, Cincinnati, Birmingham and Norfolk (3.5), Dayton (3.3), Oklahoma City and Atlanta (3.1). Host city Dallas-Ft. Worth delivered a 2.4.

Round 1:
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes combined to deliver 5,473,000 viewers for Round 1, according to Nielsen. Coverage peaked from 8:30-9 p.m. (between picks 4-8) with 6,420,000 viewers. Of the multiple networks carrying the NFL Draft on Thursday night, ESPN was the most-watched with an average audience of 5,336,000 viewers. Additionally, Day 1 of the NFL Draft helped ESPN win the night across all cable and broadcast networks among key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54).

Rounds 2-3:
ESPN and ESPN2 delivered an average audience of 1,678,000 viewers for Rounds 2-3, according to Nielsen. ESPN.com and the ESPN App recorded their most-trafficked day for NFL content since the final Sunday of the 2017 NFL regular season.

Rounds 4-7:
ESPN and ABC combined to deliver 2,249,000 viewers on Saturday for Rounds 4-7, according to Nielsen, which is an increase of 40 percent vs. the 2017 telecast on ESPN. It was the most-viewed Day 3 across all networks in NFL Draft History.

ESPN Draws Its Highest-Rated 2018 NBA Playoffs Telecast for Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers Game 6
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, April 27.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Draws Its Highest-Rated 2018 NBA Playoffs Telecast for Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers Game 6

· 2.9 Metered Market Rating for Indiana's Game 6 Victory Up 81 Percent From Last Year
· NBA Playoffs on ESPN Up 14 Percent Year Over Year Based on Metered Market Ratings
ESPN drew its highest-rated 2018 NBA Playoffs telecast for Friday's first round Game 6 telecast of the Indiana Pacers' victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The telecast generated a 2.9 metered market rating, up 81 percent from last year's Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls game, a 1.6, according to Nielsen.
Last night's telecast peaked with a 3.6 metered market rating from 9:45-10 p.m. ET. In Cleveland, the game delivered a 12.3 rating, making it the highest-rated first round game on ESPN ever in the market. In Indianapolis, the telecast also delivered its best-ever local rating for a first round game on ESPN, with an 11.9 rating.

The 2018 NBA Playoffs on ESPN is averaging a 2.5 metered market rating, up 14 percent from 2017.
Additionally, last night's Utah Jazz Game 6 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder generated a 2.8 metered market rating on ESPN, up 40 percent from last night's comparable game - the Jazz vs. LA Clippers (2.0). In the Salt Lake City market, Game 6 delivered a 9.4 rating, while in the Oklahoma City, market, the telecast drew a 9.2 rating.

Coverage continues on ABC tomorrow, Sunday, April 29, at 1 p.m. as the Cavaliers host the Pacers in Game 7 of their first round series. At 3:30 p.m., the Houston Rockets host the Jazz in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Both games will also stream on the ESPN App.

ESPN Leads All Networks with NFL Draft Round 1 Telecast
ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, April 26.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Leads All Networks with NFL Draft Round 1 Telecast
· ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes combine to deliver nearly 5.5 million viewers
· ESPN wins the night among all key male and adult demos
· Live Twitter show On the Clock averages 2.9 million viewers

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes combined to deliver a total live audience of 5,473,000 viewers for its Round 1 telecast of the 2018 NFL Draft, according to Nielsen. Coverage peaked from 8:30-9 p.m. (between picks 4-8) with 6,420,000 viewers.

Of the multiple networks carrying the NFL Draft on Thursday night, ESPN was the most-watched with an average audience of 5,336,000 viewers. Additionally, day 1 of the NFL Draft helped ESPN win the night across all cable and broadcast networks among key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54).

The top-10 metered markets for ESPN's NFL Draft coverage included Buffalo (8.3), Columbus (8.1), Cleveland (7.5), New Orleans (6.8), Birmingham, Ala. (6.5), Norfolk (6.1), Cincinnati (6.0), Oklahoma City (5.7), and (tied) Indianapolis, Louisville and Atlanta (5.6). Cleveland had been the highest-rated market for Round 1 on ESPN the past four years.

Note: The NFL Draft audience is likely to grow by eight percent once all streaming and out-of-home audiences are included, based on ESPN's new Nielsen Total Audience measurement.
ESPN Digital and Social

Thursday was the most-trafficked day for NFL content on ESPN.com and the ESPN App since the Super Bowl. Six of the top-10 articles on ESPN.com and the ESPN App were NFL Draft related.
ESPN's live On the Clock Twitter show averaged 2.9 million viewers, who accounted for 1.5 million interactions with the show. On the Clock returns tonight (7 p.m. ET) for Rounds 2-3.
2018 NFL Draft Continues on ESPN/ESPN2

ESPN's coverage of the 2018 NFL Draft continues tonight from Arlington, Texas with Rounds 2-3 (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, 8 p.m. on ESPN2), and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, beginning at 12 p.m. on ESPN and simulcast on ABC. Coverage is also being streamed live on the ESPN App.

ESPN & ABC's NBA Playoffs Opening Saturday Ratings Highest in Five Years
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, April 14.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN & ABC's NBA Playoffs Opening Saturday Ratings Highest In Five Years
· Quadruple-header Up 17 Percent From 2017; All Four of Saturday's First Round Game 1 Telecasts Up From Corresponding Games Last Year

· Philadelphia-Miami Telecast is Highest-Rated Opening Saturday Game on ESPN in Six Years
ESPN and ABC's NBA Playoffs opening Saturday coverage was up 17 percent, making it the highest-rated opening Saturday in five years (since 2013), according to metered market ratings from Nielsen. The four-game slate averaged a 2.7 metered market rating and all four telecasts were up year over year from their corresponding windows.

The Philadelphia 76ers victory over the Miami Heat drew a 2.9 metered market rating, up 26 percent from last year's San Antonio Spurs-Memphis Grizzlies game. The Sixers-Heat telecast is the highest-rated opening Saturday game on ESPN in six years (since 2012).

On ABC, the Golden State Warriors win over the Spurs drew a 3.3 metered market rating, up 14 percent from last year's Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers matchup that drew a 2.9.

The Toronto Raptors Game 1 victory over the Washington Wizards delivered a 2.1 metered market rating, up 17 percent from the Raptors-Bucks game last year that drew a 1.8. In Saturday's nightcap, the New Orleans Pelicans Game 1 win over the Portland Trail Blazers generated a 2.3 metered market rating, up 10 percent from the LA Clippers-Utah Jazz game last year (2.1).

The NBA Playoffs continue today on ABC as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers in their first round Game 1 matchup. The broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m. ET with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters calling their second game of the weekend.

Additionally, the second edition of Kobe Bryant's Detail, exclusively on ESPN+, will be available as early as Sunday night. It features the five-time NBA Champion Bryant providing high-level analysis of Saturday's Raptors game, from the standpoint of Raptors star DeMar DeRozan.
ESPN and ABC's NBA audience was up across platforms for the 2017-18 regular season.

Second Round Masters Ratings on ESPN Up 55 Percent Over 2017
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, April 6.

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[via press release from ESPN] Second Round Masters Ratings on ESPN Up 55 Percent Over 2017
ESPN's live telecast of the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, April 6, earned a 2.9 overnight rating, an increase of 55 percent over the Friday rating in 2017 and up 27 percent over the 2016 Friday rating.

The rating was ESPN's best on Friday since a 3.3 in 2013 and tied for the third-best Friday rating since ESPN began airing the Masters in 2008. The Friday telecast in 2017 earned a 1.8 overnight rating while the 2016 Friday telecast earned a 2.3 overnight rating.

Friday's telecast, which aired from 3 p.m. until 7:45 p.m., peaked between 6:15-6:30 p.m. with a 3.3 rating as Tiger Woods was playing the closing holes of his round.
The top 10 metered markets:
Greenville, S.C. 5.4
Ft. Myers, Fla. 5.1
Orlando, Fla. 4.8
Louisville, Ky. 4.8
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. 4.5
Greensboro, N.C. 4.5
Charlotte, N.C. 4.2
Buffalo, N.Y. 3.8
Jacksonville, Fla. 3.8
Indianapolis. Ind. 3.8

Also yesterday, SportsCenter at the Masters, which aired from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. with expanded quick-turnaround highlights and analysis of in-progress play, earned a 0.6 metered market average, up 200 percent over the 0.2 rating from the same time last year.
ESPN's live Masters coverage ended Friday but SportsCenter and ESPN.com will continue to report from the Masters throughout the weekend.

ESPN Earns Best Overnight Rating for Masters First Round Since 2015
ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, April 5.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Earns Best Overnight Rating for Masters First Round Since 2015
ESPN telecast of the first round of the Masters Tournament on Thursday, April 5, earned a 2.2 overnight rating, the highest for the first round since 2015. The rating was up 40 percent over 2017 and 16 percent over 2016.

It was the highest Thursday rating since a 2.4 overnight in 2015, the last year Tiger Woods competed in the event and when most of his round was included in the telecast. Woods is back this year and played earlier in the day Thursday while ESPN's telecast of the second round on Friday will include the majority of Woods' round.

Thursday's overnight rating was the fourth-highest Thursday since ESPN began airing the Masters in 2008. The coverage aired from 3 p.m. until 7:20 p.m. ET with the rating peaking at a 2.4 between 6:15-7 p.m.

Louisville led all metered markets with a 4.8 rating, followed by Greenville, S.C., at 4.7, and Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Myers, Fla., at 4.2. Tampa-St. Petersburg and Orlando earned a 3.7.
ESPN will air Friday's second round beginning at 3 p.m. ET, while SportsCenter at the Masters will air from 10 a.m. until the live coverage begins with in-progress updates.

Masters First Round Viewership on ESPN Up 40 Percent From 2017
Nearly three million viewers tuned in for ESPN's telecast of the first round of the Masters Tournament on Thursday, an increase of 40 percent over the Thursday audience of last year, according to Nielsen Fast National data.

The telecast, which aired from 3 p.m. - 7:20 p.m. ET, averaged 2,971,287 viewers, up 40 percent from the 2,129,214 Thursday average in 2017 and up 24 percent from the 2016 Thursday average of 2,397,624.

The telecast ranked as the fourth-best Thursday since ESPN began airing the Masters Tournament in 2008, exceeded only by the years in which Tiger Woods was featured in Thursday coverage (2009, 2010 and 2015). Most of Woods' round on Thursday had already been completed when ESPN's telecast began.

The telecast also saw growth across all key demographics, with a 44 percent increase in persons 25-54.

Digitally, ESPN saw significant growth across app and website usage compared to the opening Thursday of the tournament last year. The men's golf section of the ESPN App saw a 111 percent increase in total minutes over 2017 (27,198,202 million vs. 12,889,566 million in 2017) with a 42 percent increase in visits (5,181,829 vs. 3,636,525 in 2017).

On ESPN.com, the golf section had a 41 percent increase in visits over last year (3,310,158 million vs. 2,353,247 million in 2017).

Also on Thursday, SportsCenter at the Masters, which included more coverage from the Masters than ever before, saw a 67 percent increase in overnight ratings from noon to 3 p.m. over 2017 (0.5 vs. 0.3 in 2017).

While ESPN's live Masters coverage ends Friday, SportsCenter and ESPN.com will continue to report from the Masters throughout the weekend.

ABC Draws Highest-Rated "NBA Sunday Showcase" Broadcast Since 2015 for Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics Showdown
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, February 11.

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[via press release from ESPN] ABC Draws Highest-Rated "NBA Sunday Showcase" Broadcast Since 2015 for Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics Showdown

Sunday's collision of NBA Eastern Conference powerhouses, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James defeated the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving 121-99, helped ABC generate its highest-rated NBA Sunday Showcase broadcast since 2015, according to metered market ratings from Nielsen.

The broadcast delivered a 3.6 metered market rating, up 57 percent from last year's San Antonio-New York game (2.3). It peaked at a 4.0 from 5:15-5:30 p.m. and again from 5:45-6 p.m. ET. The Cavaliers-Celtics game now stands as the fourth-highest rated NBA broadcast of the 2017-18 season, across all networks.

Sunday's broadcast drew a 20.5 rating in the Cleveland market and an 8.1 rating in the Columbus market. The rest of the top five markets include Norfolk (6.5), Dayton (6.2), and Birmingham (5.5). It drew a 5.5 rating in the Boston market.

Through two games, ABC's NBA Sunday Showcase series is averaging a 2.7 metered market rating this season, up 27 percent from a 2.1 last year.

Epic College Football Playoff National Championship Delivers Massive 16.7 Overnight, Up 9% Year-Over-Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, January 8.

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[via press release from ESPN] Epic College Football Playoff National Championship Delivers Massive 16.7 Overnight, Up 9% Year-Over-Year
· Three-Game College Football Playoff Drives Ratings: Up 18% Year-Over-Year
· Record-Setting: Best New Year's Six + CFP National Championship Ever

· CFP National Championship Game:
· Birmingham Leads the Way: 57.6 Local Rating, Up from Last Year's CFP National Championship
· Atlanta Sets New High: 47.8 Rating, Highest for an ESPN College Football Game in the Market
ESPN's presentation of the epic College Football Playoff National Championship between Georgia and Alabama (Jan. 8 at 8 p.m.) delivered a massive 16.7 overnight on its Nielsen-rated networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU) as part of its MegaCast production, up 9% from last season's thrilling College Football Playoff National Championship on the same three Nielsen-rated networks. The ESPN-only presentation delivered a monster 16.0 overnight for the Crimson Tide's overtime victory, up 8% from the ESPN-only presentation last season, a game which featured a dramatic, last minute touchdown to win the game.

This season's College Football Playoff National Championship, the first ever to go to overtime, was also up 5% from ESPN's MegaCast presentation (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU) of the second CFP National Championship (January 11, 2016).

College Football Playoff National Championships Provide ESPN with its Highest-Ratings on Record
Combined with the inaugural season, the College Football Playoff National Championship now represent the two-highest rated events on record for ESPN's networks.

Among all college football bowl games, the College Football Playoff era has provided ESPN with three of its top 5 highest-rated games and seven of the top 10:
Rank Rating Date Matchup Network Game
1 18.8 Jan 12, 2015 Ohio State vs. Oregon ESPN CFP National Championship
2 16.7 Jan. 8, 2018 Georgia vs. Alabama ESPN CFP National Championship
3 16.1 Jan 10, 2011 Auburn vs. Oregon ESPN BCS National Championship
4 16.0 Jan 11, 2016 Alabama vs. Clemson ESPN CFP National Championship
5 15.7 Jan 7, 2013 Notre Dame vs. Alabama ESPN BCS National Championship
6 15.5 Jan 1, 2015 Florida State vs. Oregon ESPN CFP Semifinal
7. 15.3 Jan 1, 2015 Ohio State vs. Alabama ESPN CFP Semifinal
15.3 Jan 9, 2017 Clemson vs. Alabama ESPN CFP National Championship
15.3 Jan 6, 2014 Florida State vs. Auburn ESPN BCS National Championship
10 14.8 Jan 1, 2018 Oklahoma vs. Georgia ESPN CFP Semifinal
Please note: All Nielsen-rated MegaCast feeds reflected where appropriate

Additional Georgia-Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship Highlights
· Birmingham Leads the Way, Atlanta Sets New Record: With an impressive 57.6 local rating, Birmingham was the No. 1 rated local market, up from last season's national championship. Atlanta earned its highest rating ever for a college football game on ESPN, earning a 47.8 rating. The complete top 15:
Rank Local Overnight Market
1 57.6 Birmingham
2 47.8 Atlanta
3 31.9 Greenville
4 29.0 Jacksonville
5 28.3 Nashville
6 28.0 Knoxville
7 27.5 New Orleans
8 23.5 Austin
9 23.2 Columbus
10 22.8 Memphis
11 22.0 Tampa
12 21.4 Fort Myers
13 20.8 Norfolk
14 20.6 Louisville
15 19.8 Richmond

All local markets are ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU Combined
· Overtime Rating Soars: The game earned a 17.1 overnight as the Bulldogs-Crimson Tide played overtime (midnight - 12:15 a.m.). The peak audience was an 18.4, which occurred late in the first half (9:45 p.m. - 10 p.m. ET)

Three-Game College Football Playoff Up 18% from Last Season
ESPN's entire presentation of the three game College Football Playoff averaged an 14.9 overnight, up an impressive 18% from last year's three-game presentation. In addition to the championship game, each of the two CFP Semifinals were also up year-over-year individually as well, as documented last week.

ESPN Delivers Highest-Rated New Year's Six + CFP National Championship in Current Era
Factoring in the entire New Year's Six, the seven games (New Year's Six + CFP National Championship) averaged an 9.8 overnight, the best ever in the four years of the new system. The seven-game average was up 5% from last year's same seven games.

ESPN Concludes College Football Post Season Up 10%

ESPN's industry leading postseason schedule, consisting of 35 games plus the CFP National Championship, averaged a 3.4 overnight, up 10% from last year's similar slate.

ESPN's MegaCast Presentation offered the 20 different productions for the game; however, only Nielsen rated networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU) are represented in the overnight for all years. ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, and SEC Network are not rated and thus not accounted for in this release. Additionally, ESPN3 streaming numbers are also not accounted for here.

Streaming Clarification: Nielsen reported numbers for all ESPN and ESPN2 telecast reflect TV viewing + Streaming audiences on OTT devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, gaming consoles and smart TVs). The above number does not reflect streaming audiences from ESPNU or any ESPN3 presentations. All comparisons are Nielsen reported numbers to Nielsen reported numbers. This new system has been used since Sept. 26.

ESPN's Celtics-Cavaliers Telecast Matches Best Regular Season Rating in Nearly Two Years
ESPN spins the numbers for Wednesday, January 3.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's Celtics-Cavaliers Telecast Matches Best Regular Season Rating in Nearly Two Years
2.4 Metered Market Rating Up 60 Percent from Last Year

ESPN's telecast of the Boston Celtics victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday delivered a 2.4 metered market rating, according to Nielsen. It matches two Christmas telecasts as the highest-rated NBA regular season game on ESPN in nearly two years.

The 2.4 rating is up 60 percent from a 1.5 rating for last year's comparable game - Cleveland vs. Chicago. Last night's telecast peaked with a 2.7 rating between 9:30-10 p.m. ET. In the Cleveland market, the game delivered a 6.2 rating, the best since a Cleveland-Miami matchup on ESPN drew a 6.4 on October 30, 2015. Wednesday's telecast generated a 4.2 local rating in Boston, which is the second best rating on ESPN this season in the market.

The last time ESPN drew a higher rating for an NBA regular season game was on April 13, 2016, when the Golden State Warriors set the all-time regular season wins record. That telecast drew a 2.7. Wednesday's 2.4 rating is even with the Philadelphia-New York Christmas 2017 rating and the Boston-New York Christmas 2016 rating.

ESPN in 2017: Live Events Drive Audience Increases
ESPN further spins the numbers for the year to date.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN in 2017: Live Events Drive Audience Increases
· ESPN's 2017 Prime-Time and Total-Day Audiences Rise vs. 2016
· ESPN Leads Cable Nets in Q4 Prime-Time Viewership for 18th Time in 19 Years
· ESPN Has Led Cable for Key Male Demos for 18 Straight Quarters

ESPN's 2017 viewership in prime time and in total day rose vs. 2016, while the network returned to its familiar spot atop cable networks in fourth quarter prime-time viewership and continued its streak of leading full-time cable networks in the key male demos to 18 consecutive quarters (4.5 years).
· In 2017, ESPN averaged 2,058,000 viewers (P2+) in prime time across TV and streaming, an increase of 7% over 2016. ESPN grew its audience among men and adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
· ESPN also saw its total day viewership rise 1%.

· In the fourth quarter, ESPN grew its audience 13% in prime to 3,052,000 viewers across TV and streaming, the best on cable, as it had accomplished from 1999 - 2015 before the aberration of last year's political climate pushed ESPN to second place (behind Fox News). Audiences also rose by a double-digit percentage among men and adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. ESPN's total day viewership rose 9%.

· In addition, the recently completed quarter was the 18th straight in which ESPN led full-time cable networks in delivering the key male demographic groups advertisers covert: men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

Live Events Break Through the Clutter
Throughout 2017, ESPN's industry-leading portfolio of rights to marquee live sporting events garnered noteworthy viewership superlatives and growth:
· 2017 New Year's Six Bowl Games: averaged nearly 15 million viewers, and will be the most-watched New Year's Six once streaming audience is fully reported. The semis were up 9% from last year and up 24% from the 2015 season. All non-CFP Semifinal New Year's Six Games set new viewership records. In addition, the College Football Playoff Semifinals (officially in 2018's ratings) averaged 24,590,000 viewers, up 27% from last year and 44% from the 2015 season.

· NBA Finals on ABC: most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 (playoffs before Finals up 5%)
· Pacquiao vs. Horn: most-watched boxing telecast on cable television since 2006
· College Football on ABC: Saturday Night Football was the most-watched college football franchise among all networks in any time slot for the second consecutive year.
· College Football on ESPN/ESPN2: ESPN/ ESPN2 - 47 of cable's biggest 50 audiences for the sport.
· Monday Night Football (17 games in 16 weeks): ESPN won the night among all networks in all key male and adult demos all 16 weeks.
· Men's College World Series (16 games): up 56%
· MLB Home Run Derby: up 55%
· MLS Playoffs (seven games): up 38% from 2016; championship game up 20% from 2015 (last time on ESPN)
· NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship: up 29%
· US Open Women's Final: up 26% and the best in ESPN's three years
· Women's College World Series (15 games): up 21%
· NBA Summer League (39 games): up 18%
· NBA (season to date, 20 games): up 16% and up 23% among Adults 18-49
· College Football's "New Year's Six" and the 2017 Championship Game: up 15%
· WNBA Finals (five games): up 15%
· NBA Draft: up 14%
· Little League World Series (32 games): up 12%
· US Open: up 8%
· NCAA Men's Basketball: Saturday nights up 8%; Tuesday & Thursday nights both up 6%
· Wimbledon Gentlemen's Final: up 6%

Thrilling Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual Delivers Monster 14.8 Rating
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, January 1.

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[via press release from ESPN] Thrilling Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual Delivers Monster 14.8 Rating; Both College Football Playoff Semifinals up Significantly Year-Over-Year; ESPN Delivers Highest-Rated New Year's Six Ever

· CFP Semifinal at Rose Bowl Game Up 29%
· CFP Semifinal at Allstate Sugar Bowl Posts Strong 12.5 Overnight; Up 19%
· Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Earns Its Highest, Non-CFP Semifinal Rating in New Year's Six Era
· Birmingham Earns Highest Local Rating for Both CFP Semifinals

ESPN's presentation of the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual and Allstate Sugar Bowl delivered monster ratings and significant year-over-year ratings increases driving ESPN to its highest-rated presentation of the New Year's Six Ever.
CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Up 29% Year-Over-Year; CFP Semifinal at Sugar Bowl up 19% from Last Season

ESPN's presentation of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual featuring a thrilling showdown between Oklahoma and Georgia (5 p.m. ET) on New Year's Day delivered an impressive 14.8 overnight (ESPN + ESPN2), up 29% from last season's first CFP Semifinal on the same two networks and 53% from the 2015 season's first CFP Semifinal, also on ESPN and ESPN2. This year's Rose Bowl Game on ESPN-only delivered a 14.2 overnight. The rating for the Georgia victory nearly matched the much-anticipated, record-breaking inaugural CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game (Jan. 1, 2015), which remains the highest-rated CFP Semifinal to date (15.5 overnight).

The Allstate Sugar Bowl between Clemson and Alabama (9 p.m.) delivered a very strong 12.5 overnight (ESPN and ESPN2), up 19% from last season's second CFP Semifinal, also on ESPN and ESPN2, and 26% from the 2015's season second CFP Semifinal on the same two networks. The ESPN-only presentation of the Sugar Bowl delivered a 12.0 overnight.

CFP Semifinals Average 13.9 Overnight, Up 26% Year-Over-Year; Third and Fourth Highest-Rated CFP Semifinal Ever

This season's two CFP Semifinals averaged a 13.9 overnight, up 26% from last year and 42% from the 2015 season. Individually, both games rank as the third and fourth highest-rated CFP Semifinals ever, trailing only the two record-breaking CFP Semifinals from the inaugural year.

UCF-Auburn Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Posts Highest-Rated Non-CFP Semifinal Peach Bowl of New Year's Six Era The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between UCF and Auburn (12:30 p.m.) earned a 5.1 overnight, the highest-rated non-CFP Semifinal Peach Bowl in the New Year's Six Era. The game was up 28% from the 2015 season game and 55% from the 2014 season game. The 2016 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl was a CFP Semifinal.

ESPN Earns Highest Rating Ever for New Year's Six
ESPN's presentation of the entire New Year's Six averaged an 8.4 overnight, the highest rated New Year's Six in the system's four-year history. This year's presentation of the six games was up 8% from last year, 15% from the 2015 season and 3% from year one.

Additional Rose Bowl Game and Sugar Bowl Highlights:
Overtime Peaks Rating: The Rose Bowl Game rating peaked as overtime got underway, with a 17.3 rating (9-9:15 p.m.)

· Birmingham: Highest-Rated Local Market for Both College Football Playoff Semifinals
Birmingham was the No. 1 local market for both CFP Semifinal games, delivering a 42.8 rating for the Rose Bowl and 55.7 for the Sugar Bowl. The complete top 10 for both games:
Rose Bowl Game
Rank Local Market
1 42.8 Birmingham
2 35.9 Oklahoma City
3 35.6 Tulsa
4 33.7 Atlanta
5 31.3 Greenville
6 28.7 Columbus
7 23.7 Dayton
8 23.4 Knoxville
9 23.3 Jacksonville
10 21.9 New Orleans
Sugar Bowl
Rank Local Market
1 55.7 Birmingham
2 32.7 Greenville
3 26.3 Atlanta
4 24.2 New Orleans
5 23.4 Nashville
6 23.3 Columbus
7 20.6 Knoxville
8 20.0 Jacksonville
9 19.3 Charlotte
10 18.0 Louisville

Additional New Year's Day Highlights:
· Outback Bowl: Michigan vs. South Carolina (Noon, ESPN2) delivered a 3.1 overnight, up 72% from the 2015 Outback Bowl, the last time the game aired on ESPN2.

· Citrus Bowl Presented by Overton's: LSU vs. Notre Dame (1 p.m., ABC) earned a 5.5 overnight, up 32% from last year's game (LSU vs. Louisville)

The Allstate Sugar Bowl kicked off on ESPN2 and was joined in progress on ESPN at approximately 9:22 p.m. The game was presented on both channels beginning at 9:38 p.m.

Last season's CFP Semifinal Schedule: Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl at 3 p.m. and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at 7 p.m. Both games were played on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016

2015 season's CFP Semifinal Schedule: Capital One Orange Bowl at 4 p.m. and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at 8 p.m. both games were played on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015

New Year's Six: Capital One Orange Bowl and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Both Post Strong Ratings
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, December 30.

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[via press release from ESPN] New Year's Six: Capital One Orange Bowl and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Both Post Strong Ratings
· Orange Bowl up 38% from Inaugural New Year's Six, Flat with Last Season's Epic Orange Bowl
· Fiesta Bowl up 28% from Inaugural New Year's Six, Keeps Pace with New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl in Year Two
· New Year's Six Off to Robust Start: Up 42% from System's Similar First Year

ESPN's New Year's Six telecasts continued their strong start on Saturday, Dec. 30, as the ratings for the Capital One Orange Bowl (8 p.m.) and the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (4 p.m.) followed the trend set on Friday, Dec. 29, with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (8:30 p.m.), seeing significant ratings increases from the inaugural Year of the New Year's Six, which also concluded with the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual and Allstate Sugar Bowl hosting the College Football Playoff Semifinals.

Orange Bowl Continues to Deliver Thrilling Games, High Ratings
The Orange Bowl featuring Wisconsin vs. Miami earned a 6.6 overnight, up 38% from the inaugural New Year's Six Orange Bowl (2014) and was nearly flat with last season's Orange Bowl, which featured a down-to-the-wire Florida State victory over Michigan (6.7 overnight). As a result of the back-to-back years of impressive ratings, the 2017 and 2016 Orange Bowls represent the third and fourth highest-rated non-CFP Semifinals of the New Year's Six era, trailing only the two New Year's Day Rose Bowls (15 games). For the 2015 season, the Orange Bowl was a CFP Semifinal.
Milwaukee Earns No. 1 Local Market

Milwaukee was the No. 1 local market, earning a 20.6 rating. The complete Top 10:
Rank Overnight Market
1 20.6 Milwaukee
2 19.0 Columbus
3 14.9 Birmingham
4 13.2 Greenville
5 11.8 Jacksonville
6 11.6 New Orleans
7 11.3 Atlanta
8 10.8 Miami
9 10.6 Oklahoma City
10.6 Tulsa

The PlayStation Fiesta Bowl featuring Washington vs. Penn State (4 p.m.) earned an 5.9 overnight, up 28% also from inaugural New Year's Six Fiesta Bowl (2014), which was also played at 4 p.m. on a non-CFP Semifinal day (Dec. 31, 2014). This year's Fiesta Bowl rating was less than 5% off of the 2015 season's New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl featuring Ohio State and Notre Dame (6.2 overnight). For the 2016 Season, the Fiesta Bowl was a CFP Semifinal.

Columbus Becomes No. 1 Local Market for Second New Year's Six Game
Columbus was the No. 1 local market for the second consecutive New Year's Six game, after achieving the same status for the Cotton Bowl. The complete top 10 markets:
Rank Overnight Market
1 16.4 Columbus
2 15.4 Seattle
3 11.4 Birmingham
4 11.0 Dayton
5 10.9 Pittsburgh
6 9.7 Philadelphia
7 9.5 Greenville
8 9.3 New Orleans
9.3 Jacksonville
9.3 Cleveland

New Year's Six Off to Strong Start, up 42% from Inaugural Year of the System
Combined with the Cotton Bowl Classic, through the first three games of this season's New Year's Six, ESPN is averaging an 6.1 rating, up 42% from the inaugural year of the New Year's Six. The inaugural year is the only other year of the system in which the CFP Semifinals were not played within those first three games.

Columbus Sets the Pace among Local Markets for New Year's Six Games
Through three games, and on the backbone of being the No.1 local market for two of the three games, Columbus is the No. 1 local market for the New Year's Six. The complete top 10:
Rank Overnight Market
1 26.0 Columbus
2 14.9 Dayton
3 12.9 Birmingham
12.9 Cleveland
5 10.2 Greenville
6 9.5 Milwaukee
7 9.4 New Orleans
9.4 Cincinnati
9 9.3 Seattle
10 9.2 Oklahoma City

Please note: Nielsen reported numbers for all ESPN telecasts reflect TV viewing + Streaming audiences on OTT devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, gaming consoles and smart TVs). This new system has been used since Sept. 26.

New Year's Six Continue to set New Bowl Records: Capital One Orange Bowl and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl are Most-Watched, Non-CFP Semifinal Orange and Fiesta Bowl in NY Six Era

· Orange Bowl: More than 11.7 Million Viewers, up 2% from Last Season's Epic Orange Bowl and up 31% from Year One of New Year's Six Era

· Fiesta Bowl: Over 10.1 Million Viewers, Surpasses New Year's Day Ohio State-Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl and up 37% from Inaugural New Year's Six Year

· New Year's Six: ESPN Now up 47% From Similar First Year Schedule; All Three Games are Most-Watched, Non-CFP Semifinal of Its Respective Game
This season's New Year's Six continues to set new individual New Year's Six era bowl records, as the Capital One Orange Bowl (8 p.m.) and the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (4 p.m.) on Saturday, Dec. 30, were the most-watched non-CFP Semifinal Orange and Fiesta Bowl in the New Year's Six era based on Nielsen's Fast Nationals. The new viewership highs for the Orange and Fiesta Bowl come one day following the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic delivering the same record non-CFP Semifinal Cotton Bowl audience.

Nearly 12 Million Viewers Tune into Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl featuring Wisconsin vs. Miami earned a Nielsen reported 11,727,000 viewers based on Fast Nationals, up 2% from last season's Orange Bowl, which featured a thrilling Florida State victory over Michigan (Dec. 30, 2016) and up 31% from the 2014 Orange Bowl (Dec. 31, 2014), the first year of the New Year's Six. The 2015 season's Orange Bowl was a CFP Semifinal.
Washington-Penn State Fiesta Bowl Outdraws New Year's Day Ohio State-Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl
The PlayStation Fiesta Bowl between Washington and Penn State earned 10,167,000 viewers, up 4% from the 2015 season, New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl which featured Notre Dame and Ohio State. The audience for the Nittany Lions' victory was also up 37% from the 2014 Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 31, 2014).
Orange Bowl and Fiesta Bowl Rank Among Most-Watched Non-CFP Semifinals in New Year's Six Era

This year's Orange Bowl is the third most-watched non-CFP Semifinal game of the New Year's Six era, trailing only the two New Year's Day Rose Bowl games. The Huskies-Nittany Lions Fiesta Bowl is the fifth most-watched game in the same category:
Most-Watched Non-CFP Semifinal Games of New Year's Six Era
Rank Viewership Date Matchup Network Game
1 15,740,000 Jan 2, 2017 USC vs. Penn State ESPN Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
2 13,552,000 Jan 1, 2016 Stanford vs. Iowa ESPN Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
3 11,727,000 Dec. 30, 2017 Wisconsin vs. Miami ESPN Capital One Orange Bowl
4 11,461,000 Dec. 30, 2016 Michigan vs. Florida State ESPN Capital One Orange Bowl
5 10,167,000 Dec. 30, 2017 Washington vs. Penn State ESPN PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
All audiences numbers are Nielsen-reported

New Year's Six Viewership Now up 47%
Now, halfway through the New Year's Six, ESPN is averaging 10,436,000 viewers a game, up 47% from the inaugural year of the New Year's Six - the only other year of the system in which the CFP Semifinals were not played within those first three games. In addition to the massive audiences for both the Orange and Fiesta Bowl, the Cotton Bowl delivered a similar impressive audience of 9,468,000 viewers for Ohio State's lop-sided victory over USC (Dec. 29, 8:30 p.m.)

ESPN's Coverage of the New Year's Six Continues New Year's Day with Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and CFP Semifinals

ESPN's coverage of the New Year's Six continues on New Year's Day with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 7 Auburn and No. 12 UCF (12:30 p.m.), as well as both College Football Playoff Semifinals: The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia (5 p.m.) and the Allstate Sugar Bowl featuring No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama (8:45 p.m.). All New Year's Six games are on televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and broadcast on ESPN Radio.ESPN will cover the CFP Semifinals with the MegaCast production, with complete details here.

New Year's Day will also feature the Outback Bowl between Michigan and South Carolina (noon, ESPN2) and the Citrus Bowl Presented by Overton's featuring No. 14 Notre Dame vs. No. 17 LSU (1 p.m., ABC).

Please note: Nielsen reported numbers for all ESPN telecasts reflect TV viewing + Streaming audiences on OTT devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, gaming consoles and smart TVs). This new system has been used since Sept. 26.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Delivers Its Highest Non-CFP Semifinal Rating of New Year's Six Era
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, December 29.

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[via press release from ESPN] Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Delivers Its Highest Non-CFP Semifinal Rating of New Year's Six Era

· Cotton Bowl is Up 84% from Last Season's Game
· Second-Best Non-CFP Semifinal Cotton Bowl on Record across All Networks
· ESPN Televises Three Highest-Rated Bowl Games on Dec. 29 across All Networks
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic featuring USC vs. Ohio State (Dec. 29, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) delivered a 5.9 overnight, the highest-rated non-CFP Semifinal Cotton Bowl of the New Year's Six Era. The game, which featured Ohio State jumping out to a 24-0 first half lead, is up 84% from last season's New Year's Day Cotton Bowl Classic (Jan. 1, 2017) and up 11% from the Cotton Bowl during the Inaugural year of the New Year's Six (Jan. 1, 2015).

Expanding beyond the New Year's Six era, this year's Cotton Bowl is the bowl game's second best non-CFP Semifinal rating on record, across all networks.

Columbus Easily Earns Best Local Rating
For the Buckeyes' 24-7 victory, Columbus was the highest-rated local market, delivering a 43.3 local rating. Dayton and Cleveland were second and third respectively, earning a 23.9 and 21.0 local rating. The complete top 10:
Rank Overnight Market
1 43.3 Columbus
2 23.9 Dayton
3 21.0 Cleveland
4 13.5 Cincinnati
5 12.6 Birmingham
6 8.9 Knoxville
7 8.4 Oklahoma City
8 8.3 Nashville
9 7.8 Greenville
7.8 Louisville

ESPN Airs Three Highest-Rated College Football Bowl Games on Friday, Dec. 29
Across the entire day, ESPN's three college football bowl telecasts were the three highest-rated bowl games across the sport's four-game slate. The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl featuring Kentucky vs. Northwestern (1 p.m., ESPN) delivered a 3.0 overnight and the Belk Bowl between Wake Forest and Texas A&M (4:30 p.m., ESPN) delivered a 2.0 overnight.
Records for the Cotton Bowl date back to 2005.

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl was a CFP Semifinal for the 2015 college football season.
Please note: Nielsen reported numbers for all ESPN telecast reflect TV viewing + Streaming audiences on OTT devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, gaming consoles and smart TVs). This new system has been used since Sept. 26.

Ohio State-USC Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Delivers Most-Watched Non-CFP Semifinal Cotton Bowl of the New Year's Six Era

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic featuring USC vs. Ohio State (Dec. 29, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) is the most-watched non-CFP Semifinal Cotton Bowl of the New Year's Six era, as the game had a Nielsen-reported audience of 9,468,000 viewers based on the company's fast nationals data. The viewership for the one-sided, Buckeye's victory was up 74% from last season's New Year's Day Cotton Bowl (Jan. 1, 2017) and up 4% from the Cotton Bowl during the inaugural year of the New Year's Six (Jan. 1, 2015). Beyond the New Year's Six era, the Trojans-Buckeyes Cotton Bowl viewership is the bowl's third best viewership in 20 years, excluding the one year it was a College Football Playoff Semifinal.

As documented this morning in the overnight ratings release, Columbus was the highest-rated local market, followed by Dayton and Cleveland for the game.

ESPN's Bowl Telecast Lead the Way on Friday, Dec. 29
Yesterday, ESPN's three college football bowl telecasts were the three highest-rated bowl games across the sport's four-game slate. They are also expected to be the three most-viewed games across the day when all final numbers are reported early next week.

ESPN's Coverage of the New Year's Six Continues Today and New Year's Day
ESPN's coverage of the New Year's Six continues today with the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl featuring No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Washington (4 p.m.) and the Capital One Orange Bowl between No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 10 Miami (8 p.m.). The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 7 Auburn and No. 12 UCF (12:30 p.m.), as well as both College Football Playoff Semifinals: The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia (5 p.m.) and the Allstate Sugar Bowl featuring No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama (8:45 p.m.) will take place on New Year's Day. All New Year's Six games are on televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and broadcast on ESPN Radio.

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl was a CFP Semifinal for the 2015 college football season.
Please note: Nielsen reported numbers for all ESPN telecast reflect TV viewing + Streaming audiences on OTT devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, gaming consoles and smart TVs). This new system has been used since Sept. 26.

ESPN Airs Three Highest-Rated College Football Bowl Games on Thursday, Dec. 28
ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, December 28.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Airs Three Highest-Rated College Football Bowl Games on Thursday, Dec. 28
ESPN aired the three highest-rated college football bowl games on Thursday, Dec. 28, a day in which four bowl games were televised across all networks. The Camping World Bowl featuring Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State (5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) earned a 2.8 overnight and the Valero Alamo Bowl between Stanford vs. TCU (9 p.m., ESPN) earned a 2.7 overnight.

The Camping World Bowl was up 8% from last year's same game (then-named Russell Athletic Bowl), while the Alamo Bowl rating was 170% higher than FS1's airing of the Holiday Bowl (9 p.m.) .
The Military Bowl between Virginia and Navy (1:30 p.m., ESPN) earned a 1.4 overnight, the third highest rated game of the day.

ESPN Televises Two Highest-Rated College Football Bowl Games on Wednesday, Dec. 27
ESPN spins the numbers for Wednesday, December 27.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN Televises Two Highest-Rated College Football Bowl Games on Wednesday, Dec. 27
· ESPN's Networks Have Aired Six Highest-Rated Bowl Games of the Season

ESPN televised the two highest-rated college football bowl games Wednesday, Dec. 27, notably beating FOX head-to-head in prime-time. ESPN's airing of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl featuring Iowa vs. Boston College (5:15 p.m. ET) delivered a 2.3 overnight and the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl between Texas and Missouri (9 p.m.) earned a 2.1 overnight, both besting FOX's prime-time telecast of the Foster Farms Bowl (8:30 p.m.) by 21% and 11%, respectively.
Now 22 games into the bowl season, ESPN and ABC have combined to televise the six highest-rated games across all networks. Additionally, ESPN's networks are averaging a 1.4 overnight for 20 bowl games they have televised, equal to that of last season's first 20 bowls games the networks aired.

ESPN and ABC's NBA Christmas Ratings Up 39 Percent from Last Year
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, December 25.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN and ABC's NBA Christmas Ratings Up 39 Percent From Last Year

ESPN and ABC's NBA Christmas coverage averaged a 3.9 metered market rating across its four games, up 39 percent compared to a 2.8 for its five-game schedule last year, based on metered market ratings from Nielsen.

Highlights:
· The Philadelphia 76ers 105-98 win over the New York Knicks averaged a 2.4 metered market rating, matching last year as ESPN's best 12 p.m. ET (noon) Christmas window since 2012;
· The NBA Finals rematch, in which the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-92, delivered a 5.5 metered market rating, matching the fifth-highest rated early ABC window ever on Christmas;

· The Washington Wizards 111-103 victory over the Boston Celtics generated a 3.7 metered market rating, up nine percent from last year's comparable game - the Chicago Bulls vs. the San Antonio Spurs, which drew a 3.4;

· The Oklahoma City Thunder's 112-107 victory over the Houston Rockets on ABC drew a 4.1 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated prime-time NBA Christmas broadcast since 2003.

"Nature Boy" 30 for 30 on Ric Flair Averaged 1.8 Million Viewers; Highest Rated Cable Program for 18-49 Demo
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, November 7.

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[via press release from ESPN] "Nature Boy" 30 for 30 on Ric Flair Averaged 1.8 Million Viewers; Highest Rated Cable Program for 18-49 Demo

ESPN Films' "Nature Boy" 30 for 30 documentary, which premiered Tuesday night, averaged 1.8 million viewers according to Nielsen, a 78% increase from ESPN's 2017 30 for 30 premieres to date (1.0 million). The film on wrestling legend Ric Flair was the highest rated original show on cable that night for adults 18-49. Additionally, "Nature Boy" was the most social program of the day with 238k Twitter interactions.

"The response to the film has been overwhelming," says 30 for 30 Executive Producer John Dahl. "The viewership totals just drive home the enormous interest that exists in Ric Flair's life story, regardless of whether you're a wrestling fan."

"Nature Boy" ranks as the most-viewed film since last year's post-Heisman offering, "Catholics vs. Convicts" (2.1 million viewers).

College Football Week 10: ESPN Airs Second-Highest Game across All Networks, Top Game on Cable
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, November 4.

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[via press release from ESPN]

     College Football Week 10: ESPN Airs Second-Highest Game across All Networks, Top Game on Cable
· Ohio State at Iowa on ESPN:
· Cable and Broadcast's Highest-Rated Game Across All Networks in Competitive Late Afternoon Window

· Beats FS1's Airing of Bedlam Game by 47% Head-to-Head
· ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2: Up Year-Over-Year in Majority of Game Windows
· ESPN and ABC: Air Four of Top 7 Highest-Rated Games Across All Networks
ESPN aired the second highest-rated game of week 10 across all networks while simultaneously delivering the top-rated game across all broadcast and cable in the competitive late afternoon time slot and the top game on cable in week 10 overall, beating FS1's telecast of the Bedlam game by nearly 50%. ESPN also experienced year-over-year increases in the majority of its game windows, as did ABC and ESPN2. Across the entire slate, ESPN and ABC combined to air four of the seven highest-rated games across all networks.

Hawkeyes Upset of Buckeyes Earns Second Best Rating of Week 10, No. 1 on Cable
Ohio State at Iowa (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) delivered a 2.5 overnight, the second best rating of the week across all networks and the highest-rated game on cable of the week. The Hawkeyes upset of the Buckeyes is up 56% for ESPN from last season's comparable window (Maryland at Michigan) and, yesterday, beat FS1 by 47% in that same time slot (Oklahoma at Oklahoma State).
Saturday Night Football Among Week's Top Games, Beats FOX Head-to-Head

Led by the Hawkeyes-Buckeyes game, ESPN and ABC combined to air four of the top seven games across all networks, including ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Virginia Tech at Miami (8 p.m). The Hokies-Hurricanes matchup earned a 2.2, beating Fox' Big Ten game head-to-head in prime time by 22%. The win keeps the Hurricanes unbeaten, setting up a monster week 11 Saturday Night Football matchup: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. undefeated Miami (8-0).

Additional ESPN Week 10 Highlights:
· Clemson at NC State (3:30 p.m., ABC): 2.0 rating, an increase of 11% from the comparable ABC window last season (regional action: Syracuse at Clemson or Oklahoma State at Kansas State).
· Wisconsin at Indiana (Noon, ABC): 1.9 overnight, up 6% from the 2016 comparable window (Wisconsin at Northwestern)

· Auburn at Texas A&M (Noon, ESPN): 1.6 rating, an increase of 23% from last year's similar window (Vanderbilt at Auburn).

· Arizona at USC (10:45 p.m., ESPN): 1.3 overnight, beating FS1's final game window of day by 117%

· Texas at TCU (7 p.m., ESPN): 1.2 overnight, up 9% year-over-year (Oregon at USC)

· ESPN2: The network's noon (Florida at Missouri) and 3:30 p.m. windows (Iowa State at West Virginia) saw a ratings increase of 20% and 33% year-over-year, respectively, while its Friday night telecast (Memphis at Tulsa) was up 25% year-over-year.


ABC's "Saturday Night Football": Michigan State at Michigan Is Highest-Rated Game of Week 6 Across All Networks
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, October 7.

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[via press release from ESPN]

     ABC'S Saturday Night Football: Michigan State at Michigan is Highest-Rated Game of Week 6 Across All Networks

· SNF Beats Fox by 179% in Prime Time, Grows Year-Over-Year Audience
· Detroit Earns Second Best Local Rating on Record for the Spartans-Wolverines Matchup on ESPN/ABC

· Alabama at Texas A&M: ESPN's Highest-Rated Saturday Game in 2017 Season
ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Michigan State at Michigan (7:30 p.m. ET) earned a 3.9 Nielsen overnight, the highest-rated college football game of week 6 across all networks. The overnight for the Big Ten rivalry game was 179% higher than Fox's prime time game and 95% and 86%, respectively, higher than Fox's afternoon games, while also earning a 44% better rating than CBS.

For the sixth time in the six weeks of the college football season, Saturday Night Football will be the most-watched prime time game of the week when viewership is reported on Tuesday. Additional highlights:
· SNF Ratings Grow: The Spartans' 14-10 victory is up 22% from last year's Saturday Night Football contest. Now, six weeks into the season, the franchise has seen year-over-year increases in five of those weeks.
  
· Michigan's Last Minute Drive Peaks Ratings: As Michigan drove for a potential game-winning touchdown, the rating peaked for the game at a 5.5 overnight (11-11:15 p.m.)

· Detroit Tunes In: Detroit was the No. 1 local market, with an impressive 28.4 rating. The local number is the market's second best on record for a Michigan State-Michigan matchup on an ESPN network, trailing only the 2013 matchup (29.2) The complete top 5 local markets for the 2017 game are:
Rank Rating Market
1 28.4 Detroit
2 16.1 Columbus
3 9.2 Dayton
4 6.1 Cincinnati
5 6.0 Cleveland
ESPN Leads the Way on Cable; Alabama-Texas A&M Ties as Second Highest Game Across All Networks

Alabama at Texas A&M (7:15 p.m.) drew a 2.7 Nielsen overnight, tying as both the second-highest overnight of the week across all networks and as the best overnight for an SEC game in week 6. The overnight for the Crimson Tide victory outdrew all seven games on Fox Sports networks in week 6 and was ESPN's best overnight for a Saturday game this season (22 games). The matchup was also up 13% from last year's similar game, which featured Alabama at Arkansas.

Led by the Crimson Tide-Aggies, all four games that aired on ESPN on Saturday were the highest-rated cable games of week 6. Miami at FSU (3:30 p.m. on ESPN), earned a 2.0 Nielsen rating for the game and peaked at a 3.9 Nielsen overnight as the Hurricanes were driving and scored the game winning touchdown (7:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.). Georgia vs. Vanderbilt (noon on ESPN) earned a 1.3 overnight, up 30% from last year's similar game (Auburn vs. Mississippi State) and Cal vs. Washington earned a 1.1 overnight, flat with last year's same game (Washington State vs. Stanford).
ESPN announced a new reporting system, which began on Sept. 25. More details are here.
Local ratings date back to 2001

College Football Week 5: ABC's "Saturday Night Football" Earns Best Overnight of the Week
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 30.

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[via press release from ESPN] College Football Week 5: ABC's "Saturday Night Football" Earns Best Overnight of the Week; ESPN's Networks Deliver Five of Six Highest-Rated Games and Top 6 on Cable
· SNF Outpaces Fox by 67% in Prime Time on Saturday
· USC-Washington State: Cable's Highest Overnight of the Week, Among ESPN'S Best Friday Night Games on Record

· Cougars Victory Delivers a Seattle Local Market Record
· Vanderbilt-Florida: ESPN's Highest-Rated Afternoon Game of the Season
ESPN's Networks earned college football highest ratings in week 5, according to Nielsen overnights, as ABC televised the highest-rated game of the week and ESPN/ABC combined for five of the six highest rated games of the week across all networks. On cable, ESPN's networks once again set the pace, delivering the six highest overnights among all networks.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Continues Season Trend
ABC's Saturday Night Football featuring Clemson at Virginia Tech (8 p.m.) earned a 3.0 overnight, the best among all networks in week 5. The premier college football franchise's overnight outpaced Fox' primetime game by 67% and CBS' afternoon game by 15%. As a result, SNF is projected to be the most-watched prime time game of the week for the fifth time in the five weeks of the college football season.

Friday Night Lights: USC-Washington State Third Best Overnight Among All Networks in Week 5; Impressive Local Ratings in Seattle and Los Angeles

ESPN's Friday night matchup featuring USC at Washington State (10:30 p.m.) earned a 2.2 overnight, cable's best overnight of week five and the third best overnight among all networks in week 5. Additional highlights:
· Pac-12 Delivers in Late Night Window: In consecutive years, ESPN has now televised two of the three highest-rated late night Friday night games (9 p.m. start or later) on record as the Trojans-Cougars matchup joins Stanford at Washington (2.4 overnight) last season in the top 3*.
· Seattle Sets New Cougars Record: Seattle earned a 9.0 local rating, the No. 1 market for the game and the market's best for a Washington State game on ESPN. Los Angeles was the second highest rated market, earning a 6.0, the market's best ever for a Friday night game on ESPN. The complete top 5:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 9.0 Seattle
2 6.1 Los Angeles
3 5.7 Birmingham
4 4.6 Portland
5 3.6 Oklahoma City

· Strong Ratings throughout Second Half: The dramatic game held the audience well, as the final five quarter hours (12:45- 1 a.m., 1-1:15 a.m., 1:15- 1:30 a.m., 1:30-1:45 a.m., and 1:45-2 a.m.) each earned a 2.1 rating.

· Doubleheader on ESPN Dominates the Night: Miami at Duke (7 p.m.), also on ESPN, led into the Pac-12 showdown, with the ACC matchup earning a 1.3 overnight. The overnight for the Pac-12 game was 633% and the ACC game was 333% better than FS1 single game on Friday night.
ESPN Leads the Way on Cable, See Growth in Multiple Windows

Led by the Trojans-Cougars, ESPN's networks earned the six highest overnights among cable networks in week 5, including earning its best afternoon overnight of the season with Vanderbilt-Florida earning a 2.0 overnight. The overnight for the Commodores-Gators matchup is up 43% over last year's comparable game (Notre Dame at Syracuse) and had a better overnight than both games on Fox.

Ole Miss at Alabama earned a 1.6 overnight and Mississippi State at Auburn had a 1.4 overnight, rounding out the SEC tripleheader on ESPN. The Rebels-Crimson Tide game was up 100% over last year's late night ESPN game (Arizona at UCLA).

Of note, Troy at LSU (7 p.m.) on ESPNU earned a 0.4 rating, tied for the eighth best rating on an ESPN cable network this week, but matches the best overnight on FS1 for the week.
Please note: Florida State at Wake Forest (2.1), and Northwestern at Wisconsin (2.0) on ABC, in addition to the aforementioned games, were among the top rated games of the weekend.
*Boise State at Nevada on Nov. 26, 2010 earned a 3.5 overnight, the best Friday night late night game on ESPN on record

US Open Women's Final: Overnight Rating for Match Up 36%, ESPN's Best Ever
ESPN further spins the numbers for Saturday, September 9.

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[via press release from ESPN] US Open Women's Final: Overnight Rating for Match up 36%, ESPN's Best Ever
· Total Streaming Viewers Soared 71% for Battle of Young American Women
Saturday's US Open Women's Championship on ESPN - a battle of young American women in which unseeded Sloane Stephens convincingly triumphed over No. 15 Madison Key 6-3, 6-0 - earned a 1.9 overnight rating in the metered markets for the match portion of the three-hour telecast, 36% higher than last year's women's final from New York. It was the highest overnight rating for the match in the three years ESPN has held exclusivity for the US Open - first ball to last ball coverage. (Notably, because of the hurricane, tennis strongholds Miami and Ft. Myers are not included.)

The rating for the match peaked at its conclusion, the crowning of a new Major champion. From 5:15 - 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN earned a 2.2 rating.

The highest-rated markets were Norfolk-Portsmoutth-Newport News (3.3), Washington, DC (3.2), Birmingham (2.9), West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce (2.8), and New York (2.7).
In fact, the match out-rated two college football games on Saturday on Fox: Nebraska-Oregon and, in prime time, Stanford-USC.

The three components of streaming the match were also significantly higher than previously. The total number of unique viewers was up 71%, the total minutes watched was up 15% and the average minute audience was up 38% to a new high for 2015-17.

ESPN's Total Average Audience for US Open up 11% after 11 Days
The total average audience for ESPN's exclusive coverage of the US Open from New York through Thursday, Sept. 7, was up 11% to 952,000 viewers on average, compared to 856,000 for the first 11 days of last year's event. The increase includes a 50% rise in the audience for streaming.

ABC's "Saturday Night Football" - Oklahoma at Ohio State: 5.3 Overnight, the Highest of Week 2 Across All Networks
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 9.

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[via press release from ESPN]

     ABC's "Saturday Night Football" - Oklahoma at Ohio State: 5.3 Overnight, the Highest of Week 2 Across All Networks; ESPN's Networks Air Four of the Five Highest Overnights Among All Networks
· ESPN Network's Air Highest Overnight In Each Game Window and Best in Primetime By More than 75%
· Sooners-Buckeyes: Best September Non-Opening Week Overnight on ABC in Seven Years, Up 33% from 2016 Game on FOX
· Auburn at Clemson: Best Cable Overnight and Higher than Two Games on FOX

ESPN's networks aired four of the five highest overnights and the best overnight in the individual noon, late afternoon and primetime game windows across all networks during college football's week 2. ABC's Saturday Night Football between Oklahoma and Ohio State (8 p.m. ET) earned the week's highest overnight with a 5.3, while also adding a streaming audience of 170,000 in the average minute. On a night with a number of prime time options, ABC's audience outpaced NBC by 77% and FOX by 194%

Additional Oklahoma-Ohio State Highlights:
· The overnight for the Sooners victory is ABC's highest for a non-opening week September game since 2011 and the streaming average audience is the best ever in the same category.

· The overnight and streaming average minute audience is up 39% and 98%, respectively, from SNF's week 2 telecast last season (Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee).

· The 2017 Sooners-Buckeyes overnight is up 33% from the 2016 matchup between the two schools which aired on FOX.

· Columbus was the No. 1 local market with a 39.6 rating. The top 10 markets:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 39.6 Columbus
2 33.4 Oklahoma City
3 25.3 Tulsa
4 22.6 Dayton
5 19.5 Cleveland-Akron
6 11.8 Cincinnati
7 10.0 Austin
8 9.9 Detroit
9 7.6 Birmingham
10 6.9 Nashville

Auburn at Clemson on ESPN is Cable's Best Overnight of Week 2, Out Paces Both of FOX's Games
Auburn at Clemson (7 p.m., ESPN) earned a 2.0 overnight and a streaming audience of 113,000 in the average minute, setting the pace among all games on cable in week 2. Additionally, the overnight rating between the battle of the Tigers outdrew all games on FOX Sports and CBS. Overall, all eight games on ESPN and ESPN2 had higher overnights than the two games which aired on FS1.
Additional highlights:
· The overnight and streaming audience for Clemson's victory was up 43% and 61% respectively from ESPN's week 2 primetime telecast (Arkansas at TCU).

· Stanford at USC (8:30 p.m. on FOX) was down 14% from the same 2016 matchup which aired on ABC in prime time (Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.)

· Cincinnati at Michigan (noon) and Pittsburgh at Penn State (3:30 p.m.), both on ABC, where the two highest overnights in their game windows across all networks, earning a 2.8 and 2.7, respectively. The overnight for the Wolverines audience was up 27% from last season's same window on ABC, which featured the Wolverines hosting UCF.

Please note: All ESPN streaming information is preliminary and is expected to change with further procession. Final numbers will be available this week.


Florida State vs. Alabama: Monster 7.3 Overnight, ABC/ESPN Best Kickoff Weekend Overnight on Record
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, September 2.

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[via press release from ESPN] Florida State vs. Alabama: Monster 7.3 Overnight, ABC/ESPN Best Kickoff Weekend Overnight On Record; Streaming Audience Shatters Previous High

· Michigan vs. Florida: Standout 5.0 Overnight, ABC/ESPN Highest Rated Non-Prime-Time Kickoff Weekend Game Ever; Streaming Audience Sets Same Record

· College Football Week 1: ESPN's Networks Have Aired the Highest-Rated Game Each Day across All Networks; Average Overnight Saturday on ESPN/ABC was 180% Higher than FS1/FOX
· College Football + US Open: Remarkable Usage for ESPN's Streaming

College football's five-day kickoff weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 4) continues to be record-setting for ESPN's networks as ABC aired both the highest-rated kickoff weekend game ever on record and the highest-rated non-primetime kickoff game ever on Saturday, while the two individual games shattered multiple streaming records in the process. Yesterday's success has created a kickoff weekend trend for ESPN's networks, as the network's MegaCast production for Ohio State at Indiana on Thursday smashed records and ESPN's first Friday night telecast of the season saw significant growth. As a result, ESPN's networks have aired the highest-rated game in each of the first three days of the kickoff weekend.

Florida State vs. Alabama: ABC/ESPN Highest-Rated Kickoff Weekend Game On Record; Michigan vs. Florida: Best Non-Prime-time Kickoff Weekend Record

ABC's Saturday Night Football's telecast of the historic, unprecedented matchup of No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama earned a monster 7.3 overnight rating and had a streaming audience of 237,000 viewers in the average minute becoming ESPN's networks highest-rated and most-streamed kickoff weekend game on record. Michigan vs. Florida, also on ABC (3:30 p.m.), earned a 5.0 overnight and had a streaming audience of 182,000 viewers in the average minute, becoming the highest-rated and most-streamed non-prime time kickoff game on record.

The average minute streaming audience for Alabama's victory is ESPN's second most-streamed regular season game ever, surpassing every September and October game ESPN/ABC has ever televised and trailing only last season's double overtime Michigan-Ohio State game all-time. The streaming audience is up 134% from ABC's Saturday Night Football first game last season (USC vs. Alabama).

The average minute streaming audience for the Wolverines win is ESPN/ABC's second best Saturday kickoff weekend audience ever, trailing only the aforementioned Florida State-Alabama game and up 21% from the same time slot last year (Wisconsin vs. LSU).

The overnight TV rating for the Alabama victory is up 49% from last season's ABC Saturday Night Football opener, with the Wolverines game showing window growth year over year as well.
ESPN Obliterates the Competition on the Season's First Saturday

College football's first full Saturday saw ESPN's networks generate 78% of the gross overnight rating points across all rated-networks. The average overnight rating for the seven games on ESPN/ABC was a 2.8 overnight, while Fox/FS1 averaged a 1.0 overnight for its four games. Comparing the four games on ESPN to the four games on FS1 + FOX Sports, ESPN alone beat them in gross rating points (4.1 to 3.9) without factoring in ABC. Also, ABC aired the three highest-rated games on Saturday, with the Akron at Penn State game (noon), joining the aforementioned two record-breaking games.

Top Markets:
· Florida State vs. Alabama:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 46.6 Birmingham
2 21.6 Jacksonville
3 18.4 Columbus, OH
4 17.2 Nashville
5 16.6 Knoxville
6 15.9 Greenville
7 15.2 Atlanta
8 13.6 Orlando
9 13.1 Memphis
10 12.8 West Palm Beach
Birmingham's local rating is the market's second best ever for an ABC regular season college football game
· Michigan vs. Florida:
Rank Local Rating Market
1 18.5 Jacksonville
2 16.2 Birmingham
3 15.7 Columbus, OH
4 15.4 Detroit
5 12.5 Knoxville
6 11.5 Tampa-St. Pete
7 11.4 Orlando
8 11.2 Nashville
9 9.7 West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce
10 9.5 Dayton
College Football and US Open Result in ESPN's Extraordinary Streaming Numbers
The first Saturday of the college football season, combined with US Open coverage, resulted in one of the largest days ever for ESPN streaming usage, as 3,600,000 unique users viewed 255,000,000 minutes, good for third in both categories in any single day.
*Overnight data exists back to 2004 for ABC and 2001 for ESPN.

Kickoff Weekend Continues: Ranked Matchup Between Big 12 and ACC on Special Sunday Night Presentation; No. 25 Tennessee Highlights ESPN's Traditional Labor Day Night Matchup
For the second straight year, ABC televises a special Sunday night prime-time game to commemorate the season's first week: the only top-25 matchup of the night features the Big 12 and the ACC when No. 22 West Virginia plays No. 21 Virginia Tech (Tonight at 7:30 p.m.) from FedExField in Landover, Md. Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Todd McShay will be on the call, as they begin their second season working together.

ESPN will conclude its opening week slate with its traditional Labor Day Night Game, this year featuring the second 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: No. 25 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech (8 p.m. on ESPN) in an SEC-ACC matchup. The Volunteers-Yellow Jackets matchup is also from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as ESPN will produce the stadium's first two college football games in a 48-hour span. Herbstreit concludes his stretch with the call, and Rece Davis will be on the play-by-play as Chris Fowler will return to New York City for the US Open. Maria Taylor will be on the sidelines.
Florida State vs. Alabama: More Than 12.5 Million Viewers, the Most-Watched Kickoff Weekend Game On Record Across All Networks; ABC Wins Sunday Night's Head-to Head Competition with Fox

· Seminoles-Crimson Tide's Massive Audience Surpasses Last Season's Notre Dame-Texas Viewership By an Impressive 13%
· ESPN's Networks Have Aired Top-Rated Game All Four Nights of Kickoff Weekend
ESPN's college football kickoff weekend (Aug 31 - Sept. 4) success continues as Florida State vs. Alabama on Saturday is now officially the most-watched college football opening weekend game on record across all networks and, on Sunday night, ABC beat Fox head-to-head by a substantial 32%. Factoring in last night's rating's results, ESPN's networks have aired the top rated game each of the first four nights of college football's kickoff weekend.

ABC's Saturday Night Football Opens the Season with Most-Watched Kickoff Game on Record
ESPN's networks have set a new college football kickoff weekend total live audience viewership record as ABC's Saturday Night Football telecast of the historic matchup between Florida State vs. Alabama (Sept. 2 at 8 p.m.) delivered a total live audience of 12,560,000 viewers, now the most-watched kickoff weekend game ever across all networks -- ESPN's and competitors - surpassing last season's Notre Dame at Texas game which also aired on ABC.
Seminoles-Crimson Tide: A Top 5 Most-Watched Regular Season Game on ABC Since 2006; Key Demos Up More than 50%

In addition to setting new kickoff weekend records, the total live audience for Alabama's victory is a top 5 regular season college football audience on ABC since 2006. On television, the Seminoles-Crimson Tide saw key demos (males: 18-34, 18-49 & 25-54 and persons: 18-49 and 25-54) up more than 50% compared to last season's first ABC Saturday Night Football game of the season (USC vs. Alabama), while this season's total live audience was up 56% overall to the same game. Saturday night's TV audience peaked at 14,118,000 viewers (9 - 9:30 p.m.).

ESPN's Networks: Set a New Kickoff Weekend Viewership Record for Third Consecutive Year
The massive total live audience for Alabama's victory surpassed last season's kickoff weekend double-overtime thriller between Notre Dame and Texas by a remarkable 13%. Now, ESPN's networks have set a new, single game total live audience viewership record for three consecutive kickoff weekends:

Top Three Most-Watched Opening Weekend Games Across All Networks
Rank Total Live Audience Game Network Date
1 12,560,000 Florida State vs. Alabama ABC Sept. 2, 2017
2 11,139,000 Notre Dame at Texas ABC Sept. 4, 2016
3 10,760,000 Ohio State at Virginia Tech ESPN Sept. 7, 2015
Sunday Night: ABC Televises Only Top 25 Game of the Night, Wins the Night vs. Fox; Kickoff Weekend Success Continues

ABC's Sunday night Top 25 telecast of West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech (Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m.) drew a 2.9 overnight rating, out-rating the college football game on Fox by 32%. Starting with the MegaCast for Ohio State at Indiana on Thursday night, and continuing Friday night with Wisconsin, one of the Big Ten's marquee teams, Saturday night's unprecedented Seminoles-Crimson Tide telecast and Sunday's rivalry game, ESPN's networks have aired the highest-rated game each night of kickoff weekend. ESPN concludes kickoff weekend tonight when No. 25 Tennessee plays Georgia Tech (8 p.m. on ESPN) in the second 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Records date back to 1990 for ESPN and 1996 for ABC. Competitive networks include CBS, Fox, FS1, FX, NBCSN and TBS. Data goes back as far to 1996 with CBS. TV data based on Fast Nationals.

ESPN's NBA Draft Ratings Up 13 Percent
ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, June 22.

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[via press release from ESPN] ESPN's NBA Draft Ratings Up 13 Percent
Matches Third-Highest Rated NBA Draft Ever on ESPN
ESPN Sets NBA Draft Streaming Records

ESPN's coverage of the 2017 NBA Draft presented by State Farm averaged a 2.7 metered market rating, up 13 percent from a 2.4 in 2016, according to Nielsen. It matches the third-highest rated NBA Draft on ESPN. The telecast peaked with a 4.0 rating from 8:15-8:30 p.m. ET.

Additionally, ESPN set several NBA Draft streaming records on Thursday. The NBA Draft drew an average minute streaming audience of 135,200 viewers, up 55 percent from 2016, and 1,153,500 unique viewers, up 107 percent from last year. ESPN delivered 39,215,000 total minutes streamed for the NBA Draft.

The NBA Draft on ESPN generated a 5.3 rating in the Louisville market, making it the top local market. The rest of the top 10 markets include: Charlotte (4.7); Indianapolis (4.4); Norfolk (4.0); Oklahoma City (3.9); Raleigh-Durham (3.8); Los Angeles (3.8); Las Vegas (3.8); Richmond (3.7); San Antonio (3.6).

ESPN's NBA Draft telecast is the latest live event / event series in June to generate ratings or viewership increases on ESPN television and streaming platforms. In addition to the NBA Draft, the NBA Finals, Sunday Night Baseball, the College World Series and the Women's College World Series have all generated increases this month.

NBA Finals on ABC: Highest-Rated Game 5 Since 1998: 16.0 Metered Market Rating
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, June 12.

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[via press release from ESPN]

     NBA Finals on ABC: Highest-Rated Game 5 Since 1998: 16.0 Metered Market Rating
Game 5 Rating Up 13 Percent from 2016 & 2015

ABC Broadcast Peaked with 18.8 Rating; Record NBA Finals Game 5 Streaming Audience
NBA Finals Game 5 on ABC - the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Championship - generated a 16.0 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated NBA Finals Game 5 since 1998, according to Nielsen. The ABC broadcast peaked with an 18.8 rating from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET. The Game 5 rating was up 13 percent from Game 5 in both 2016 and 2015.
Additionally, last night's Game 5 was the most-streamed NBA Finals Game 5 ever and the second-most streamed NBA game ever. It generated an average minute streaming audience of 537,000 viewers, with 2,144,200 unique viewers and 92,377,200 total minutes streamed. The only NBA game to have generated a larger streaming audience was Game 7 in 2016.

The NBA Finals on ABC is expected to win the night across all of television for the 60th consecutive time. In the San Francisco-Oakland market, the Game 5 broadcast delivered a 39.6 metered market rating and in the Cleveland market it generated a 37.1 rating. The other top local markets include: Columbus (23.3); Sacramento (21.2); Atlanta (21.0); Miami (20.6); Memphis (20.1); Los Angeles (19.1); Chicago (18.6); Richmond (17.7).

ESPN will exclusively televise the 2017 NBA Draft presented by State Farm on Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m. ET.


NBA Finals on ABC: Game 4 Up Five Percent From Last Year With 12.6 Metered Market Rating
ESPN spins the numbers for Friday, June 9.

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[via press release from ESPN] NBA Finals on ABC: Game 4 Up Five Percent From Last Year With 12.6 Metered Market Rating
2017 NBA Finals Metered Market Ratings Average Up Five Percent From 2016 Through Four Games
ESPN Sets NBA Finals Game 4 Streaming Records

Game 4 of the NBA Finals on ABC - the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors 137-116 - delivered a 12.6 metered market rating, up five percent from a 12.0 for last year's Game 4, according to Nielsen. The broadcast peaked with a 14.9 rating from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET.
The 2017 NBA Finals - the Warriors currently lead the Cavaliers 3-1 - is averaging a 12.8 metered market rating through four games. This is up five percent from a 12.2 in 2016.

ESPN set multiple NBA Finals Game 4 streaming records last night. The game delivered 71,592,200 total minutes streamed, 1,901,000 unique viewers and an average minute streaming audience of 374,800 viewers - all Game 4 records.

The NBA Finals on ABC is expected to win the night for the 59th consecutive time. Last night's broadcast delivered a 35.5 rating in the Cleveland market and a 32.1 rating in the San Francisco-Oakland market. The other top local markets include: Columbus (18.9); Sacramento (16.8); Memphis (16.5); Atlanta (16.0); San Antonio (15.6); Miami (15.4); Birmingham (14.7); Chicago (14.3).
The NBA Finals on ABC continues with Game 5 on Monday, June 12, at 9 p.m. ET (ABC coverage starting at 8:30 p.m.). The NBA Finals is also available on ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App.

2017 NBA Finals On ABC: Most-Watched Since 1998 Through Four Games
Game 4 Draws Total Live Audience of 19,387,000 Viewers, Up 15 Percent from Last Year
Game 4 Peaked with 22,450,000 Viewers

The 2017 NBA Finals on ABC - the Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 - is the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 through four games, according to Fast Nationals from Nielsen. The series is averaging a total live audience (television plus streaming) of 19,788,000 average viewers, up 12 percent from 17,696,000 viewers in 2016. On ABC, the series is averaging 19,380,000 viewers (P2+), plus an average minute streaming audience of 408,000 viewers.

Friday night's Game 4 broadcast on ABC - the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 137-116 - delivered a total live audience of 19,387,000 average viewers up 15 percent from a total live audience of 16,867,000 viewers in 2016. On ABC, Game 4 delivered 19,012,000 average viewers (P2+) with an additional average minute streaming audience of 375,000 viewers. Game 4 peaked on ABC with 22,450,000 viewers from 11-11:30 p.m. ET.

The NBA Finals on ABC won the night across all of television for the 59th consecutive time. For additional information, including metered market ratings and Game 4 streaming records, visit ESPN Media Zone to access the press release from earlier today.

The NBA Finals on ABC continues with Game 5 on Monday, June 12, at 9 p.m. (ABC coverage starts at 8:30 p.m.). Game 5 is also available on ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App.

NBA Finals on ABC: Game 3 Up 14 Percent From Last Year With 13.4 Metered Market Rating
ESPN spins the numbers for Wednesday, June 7.

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[via press release from ESPN] NBA Finals on ABC: Game 3 Up 14 Percent From Last Year With 13.4 Metered Market Rating
Most-Streamed NBA Finals Game 3 Ever: Nearly Two Million Unique Viewers
Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals - the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-113 in an instant classic - delivered a 13.4 metered market rating on ABC, according to Nielsen. This was up 14 percent from an 11.8 in 2016. Last night's broadcast peaked on ABC with a 15.6 rating from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.

Through three games, the 2017 NBA Finals on ABC is averaging a 12.8 metered market rating, up four percent from a 12.3 in 2016.

In addition, the NBA Finals on ABC continue to produce record streaming numbers, including several for Game 3. On Wednesday, nearly two million unique viewers (1,964,000) streamed the game with an average minute audience of 440,700 viewers. There were also 76,680,000 total minutes streamed - all records for an NBA Finals Game 3.

The NBA Finals on ABC is expected to win the night across all of television for the 58th consecutive time. The broadcast drew a 35.3 in the Cleveland market and a 32.7 in the San Francisco-Oakland market. The rest of the top 10 local markets include: Columbus (20.6); Memphis (19.4); Atlanta (18.6); Miami (17.8); Sacramento (17.1); Richmond (16.3); Charlotte (15.1); Birmingham (14.8).
The NBA Finals on ABC continues with Game 4 on Friday, June 9, at 9 p.m. (coverage starts at 8:30 p.m.). The Golden State Warriors will attempt to become the first team in NBA history to go undefeated throughout the NBA Playoffs. The game is also available on ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App.

NBA Finals on ABC: Game 2 Up Seven Percent From Last Year With 12.7 Metered Market Rating

ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, June 4.

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[via press release from ESPN] NBA Finals on ABC: Game 2 Up Seven Percent From Last Year With 12.7 Metered Market Rating
· 2017 NBA Finals Ratings on ABC Up From 2016 through Two Games
· ESPN Sets More NBA Finals Streaming Records

The 2017 NBA Finals on ABC - the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-113 - delivered a 12.7 metered market rating, up seven percent compared to an 11.9 for NBA Finals Game 2 in 2016. Sunday's Game 2 broadcast peaked with a 14.7 rating from 10-10:15 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen.

Through two games, the 2017 NBA Finals on ABC is averaging a 12.6 metered market rating, up from a 12.5 last year, according to Nielsen. The NBA Finals on ABC is expected to win the night across all of television for the 57th consecutive time.

Additionally, ESPN delivered another record NBA Finals streaming audience across metrics on Sunday. Game 2 drew an average minute audience of 435,800 viewers, 1,774,600 unique viewers and 71,030,300 total minutes streamed - all records for an NBA Finals Game 2.

Sunday's Game 2 broadcast averaged a 32.4 rating in the Cleveland market and a 31.1 in the San Francisco-Oakland market. The rest of the top ten local markets include Columbus (19.5), Miami (17.7), Memphis (17.5), Atlanta (17.0), Sacramento (15.5), Richmond (15.3), San Antonio (14.6) and Birmingham (14.0).

The 2017 NBA Finals on ABC and the ESPN App continues with Game 3 on Wednesday, June 7, at 9 p.m. (coverage starting at 8:30 p.m.)

2017 NBA Finals on ABC: Most-Watched Since 1998 Through Two Games
Most-Watched NBA Finals Game 2 Since 1998: Total Live Audience of 20.1 Million Viewers
The 2017 NBA Finals on ABC - the Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0 - is the most-watched since 1998, through two games, according to Fast Nationals from Nielsen. The series is averaging a total live audience (television plus streaming) of 19,602,000 average viewers, up five percent from 18,641,000 viewers in 2016. It is averaging 19,192,000 viewers (P2+) on ABC and an average minute streaming audience of 410,000 viewers.

Sunday's NBA Finals Game 2, in which the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 132-113, generated a total live audience of 20,117,000 average viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Finals Game 2 since 1998. It was up 13 percent from 17,756,000 average viewers in 2016. The Game 2 broadcast averaged 19,681,000 viewers (P2+) and an average minute streaming audience of 436,000 viewers. The broadcast peaked with 23,094,000 viewers from 10-10:30 p.m. ET.

The NBA Finals on ABC won the night across television on Sunday for the 57th consecutive time.
The 2017 NBA Finals on ABC and the ESPN App continues with Game 3 on Wednesday, June 7, at 9 p.m. (coverage starting at 8:30 p.m.)


Golden State-Cleveland Trilogy Continues to Deliver Best NBA Finals Ratings Ever on ABC
ESPN spins the numbers for Thursday, June 1.

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[via press release from ESPN] Golden State-Cleveland Trilogy Continues to Deliver Best NBA Finals Ratings Ever on ABC
Game 1 Draws Strong 12.4 Metered Market Rating, Third-Highest Game 1 Ever on ABC
ESPN's Most-streamed NBA Finals Game 1 Ever: Average Minute Audience of Nearly 500,000 Viewers

Game 1 Peaks with 13.9, NBA Finals on ABC Projected to Win the Night for 56th Consecutive Time
The Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers trilogy continues to deliver the best metered market ratings ever for the NBA Finals on ABC. Last night's broadcast, in which the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers by 22 points after opening up a commanding third quarter lead, delivered a strong 12.4 metered market rating. This is the third-highest NBA Finals Game 1 ever on ABC, only surpassed by their two previous meetings, according to Nielsen.

The Game 1 broadcast peaked with a 13.9 metered market rating from 10:15-10:30 p.m. ET. The NBA Finals on ABC is projected to win the night for the 56th consecutive time.
NBA Finals Game 1 ESPN streaming records

Thursday's Warriors-Cavaliers matchup set several ESPN NBA Finals Game 1 streaming records across metrics. Last night's game drew an average minute streaming audience of nearly 500,000 viewers (496,000), up 43 percent from 2016. In addition, it drew 1,546,600 unique viewers, up 54 percent from last year and there were a total of 79,860,000 minutes streamed, up 43 percent.

Top five local markets on ABC:
Cleveland 33.4
San Francisco-Oakland 30.9
Columbus 17.3
Memphis 16.3
Miami 15.8
The 2017 NBA Finals will continue with Game 2 this Sunday, June 4, at 8 p.m. on ABC. For more details on ESPN's NBA Finals coverage, please visit ESPN Media Zone.

NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 on ABC Delivers Total Live Audience of 8.3 Million Viewers
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, May 14.

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[via press release from ESPN]

     NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 on ABC Delivers Total Live Audience of 8.3 Million Viewers

Up 50 Percent from ESPN's 2016 Conference Finals Game 1; Peaked with 11.4 Million Viewers
2017 NBA Playoffs on ABC and ESPN Up Eight Percent from 2016

NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 on ABC - Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs - delivered a total live audience of 8,311,000 viewers (television plus streaming), according to Nielsen. This is up 50 percent from the total live audience of 5,557,000 viewers for ESPN's Conference Finals coverage in 2016 (Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors). Sunday's broadcast peaked with 11,395,000 viewers (P2+) from 6-6:15 p.m. ET.

On television, Game 1 generated 8,129,000 viewers, up 50 percent from 5,405,000 viewers in 2016. The game drew an additional average minute streaming audience of 182,000 viewers, up 20 percent from 152,000 viewers last year. Game 1 was the highest-rated telecast on broadcast or cable for Sunday, May 14, across the majority of key demos, including M18-34, M18-49, M25-54, P18-34, P18-49 and P25-54.

Through Western Conference Finals Game 1, the 2017 NBA Playoffs on ABC and ESPN is averaging a total live audience of 4,296,000 viewers, up eight percent from 3,977,000 viewers in 2016.

The NBA Western Conference Finals continues on ESPN tonight, May 16, with Game 2 at 9 p.m. It is also available to be streamed on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.


ABC's Most-Watched NBA Playoffs Opening Weekend Game Ever: Total Live Audience of 6,624,000 Viewers for Golden State-Portland Game 1
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, April 16.

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[via press release from ESPN] ABC's Most-Watched NBA Playoffs Opening Weekend Game Ever: Total Live Audience of 6,624,000 Viewers for Golden State-Portland Game 1
Warriors-Trail Blazers Game 1 Peaked with 9,139,000 Average Viewers
ESPN's & ABC's Television & Streaming Audience Up for 2017 NBA Playoffs
ESPN's Most-Streamed NBA Playoffs Opening Weekend Ever

ABC's broadcast of the Golden State Warriors' Game 1 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday generated a total live audience (television + streaming) of 6,624,000 average viewers, making it ABC's most-watched NBA Playoffs opening weekend game ever, according to Nielsen. It was up 22 percent from the corresponding game last year (Cleveland-Detroit Game 1), which averaged 5,436,000 total live viewers.

Golden State-Portland Game 1 peaked with 9,139,000 average viewers from 5:45-6 p.m. ET. On television, the game drew 6,519,000 average viewers (p2+) with an additional average minute streaming audience of 105,400 viewers.

Through five games, viewership for the 2017 NBA Playoffs on ESPN and ABC is up eight percent, averaging 3,957,000 total live viewers, compared to 3,662,000 last year. On television, the five games averaged 3,865,000 viewers, up eight percent from 3,589,000 viewers last season. It was also ESPN's most-streamed NBA Playoffs opening weekend ever, with an average minute audience of 91,800 viewers, 303,900 average unique viewers and 71,616,500 total minutes streamed.

More highlights:
· ESPN's opening weekend tripleheader averaged a total live audience of 2,976,000 average viewers, up 11 percent from 2,676,000 viewers last year;
· ABC's two opening weekend games averaged a total live audience of 5,382,000 average viewers, up five percent from 5,137,000 viewers last year.
The 2017 NBA Playoffs continue with seven games across ESPN and ABC this weekend. Please visit ESPN Media Zone for the full schedule.

Golden State-Oklahoma City on ABC Delivers Highest-Rated Non-Christmas NBA Regular-Season Game Since 2013
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, February 11.

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[via press release from ESPN] Golden State-Oklahoma City on ABC Delivers Highest-Rated Non-Christmas NBA Regular-Season Game Since 2013

4.1 Metered Market Rating is Series-Best for NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC

The Golden State Warriors' decisive 130-114 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder last night on ABC delivered a 4.1 metered market rating, making it the highest-rated, non-Christmas NBA regular-season game on any network since 2013, according to Nielsen. It also marked a series-best for NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, which is currently in its second season, and it was up 58 percent from last season's comparable ABC game, (Warriors-Clippers, 2/20/16, 2.6).

Last night's broadcast peaked with a 4.7 from 11-11:15 p.m. ET. It averaged a 19.5 rating in the Oklahoma City market, which is the best rating for a regular-season NBA game on ABC or ESPN since 2012 in the market. Additionally, the broadcast delivered a 14.3 in the San Francisco-Oakland market, making it the second-highest rated game of the season on ABC or ESPN (second to Christmas).

The Golden State-Oklahoma City showdown also delivered the second-largest streaming audience of the NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC series. It generated an average minute audience of 80,000 viewers, 320,000 unique viewers and 13.8 million total minutes streamed.

The NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC series resumes Feb. 25, when the defending NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers host the Chicago Bulls, with coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Viewership for Season Debut of ABC's NBA Sunday Showcase Up 33 Percent
ESPN spins the numbers for Sunday, January 29.

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[via press release from ESPN] Viewership for Season Debut of ABC's NBA Sunday Showcase Up Double-Digits
The season debut of the NBA Sunday Showcase presented by Verizon Go90 series on ABC (Jan. 29) delivered double-digit audience increases, according to Nielsen. This past Sunday's matchup - a 107-91 Cleveland Cavaliers' victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder - generated a total live average audience (television + streaming) of 3,230,000 viewers, up 11 percent from 2,905,000 viewers last season for Chicago Bulls at LA Clippers.

On ABC, Sunday's broadcast averaged 3,186,000 viewers (p2+), which was up 10 percent from 2,886,000 viewers last year. Additionally, the streaming audience increased by 220 percent, generating an average minute audience of 43,600 viewers, up from 19,800 last season.

The NBA Sunday Showcase returns on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, with a special start time of 2 p.m. ET. The Boston Celtics and Isaiah Thomas will host the LA Clippers and Paul Pierce in what is expected to be Pierce's final appearance in Boston. Full details on ESPN's NBA coverage this week can be found on ESPN Media Zone.

"NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC": Season Two Debut Is Highest-Rated Non-Christmas NBA Game of the Season Across ABC and ESPNESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, January 21.

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[via press release from ESPN] "NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC": Season Two Debut is Highest-Rated Non-Christmas NBA Game of the Season across ABC and ESPN

San Antonio Spurs-Cleveland Cavaliers Overtime Thriller Generates Double-Digit Increases across Digital Metrics

The season two debut of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC is the highest-rated, non-Christmas NBA game of the 2016-17 regular season across ABC and ESPN. The San Antonio Spurs' thrilling overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers averaged a 2.6 metered market rating, peaking with a 4.0 rating from 11-11:15 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen.

NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC delivered a 13.9 rating in the San Antonio market, making it the highest-rated game in the market this season across networks. The broadcast generated a 12.2 in the Cleveland market, placing it as the second-highest rated game in the market this season across networks.

The Spurs-Cavaliers showdown delivered a significant streaming audience with 9,146,000 total minutes streamed, 231,800 unique viewers and an average minute audience of 59,800 viewers. This is up 28 percent, 31 percent and 14 percent, respectively, from last year's season debut.
NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC continues next week as the defending Western Conference Champion Golden State Warriors host the LA Clippers at 8:30 p.m. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Israel Gutierrez will provide commentary. NBA Countdown presented by Straight Talk Wireless precedes the game at 8 p.m. with Sage Steele, Magic Johnson and Michael Wilbon.


National Championship Caps Exciting College Football Playoff Which Delivers Ratings Growth, Sets Numerous Streaming Records
ESPN spins the numbers for Monday, January 9.

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[via press release from ESPN] National Championship Caps Exciting College Football Playoff Which Delivers Ratings Growth, Sets Numerous Streaming Records
· New Year's Six Plus Championship Game Up Year-Over-Year
· CFP National Championship Delivers 15.3 Combined Overnight Rating, Sets Streaming Records for Third Consecutive Year
The College Football Playoff (Semifinals + National Championship) averaged a 12.7 overnight rating and a streaming audience of 535,000 average viewers, 1,655,000 unique viewers watching 120,090,000 minutes. The three game overnight average is up 8% from last season's same three games and streaming audience is up 39%, 25%, 38%, respectively, in average minute audience, unique viewers and total minutes watched. The streaming average is the best in the three years of the College Football Playoff - in all three metrics - surpassing the first year by 100%, 65%, and 98%, respectively.
Factoring in the entire New Year's Six, the seven games (New Year's Six + Championship) averaged a 9.0 overnight and a streaming audience of 355,000 average viewers, 1,155,000 unique viewers watching 79,095,000 minutes. The overnight average is up 8% from last season and streaming audience is up 49%, 30%, 48%, respectively, in average audience minute audience, unique viewers and total minutes watched. The streaming average is the best in the three years of the new system - in all three metrics - surpassing the first year by 132%, 96%, and 130%, respectively.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T between Clemson and Alabama (January 9, 2017) set streaming records for the third consecutive year. The Tigers' victory had a streaming average audience of 710,000 viewers with 2,413,000 unique viewers watching 182,575,000 minutes - setting new highs in all three categories for a college football game on any ESPN network and surpassing last season's national championship game between the same teams (January 11, 2016). The streaming audience was up 21%, 25% and 30%, respectively, in average minute audience, unique viewers and total minutes watched from the before mentioned 2016 CFP National Championship. The unique viewers is ESPN's third best across all sports, trailing only two USA World Cup games which were played during traditional working hours.
ESPN's record-breaking national championship streaming audience concludes a 10-day stretch which delivered the most streamed semifinal (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl featuring Washington vs. Alabama) and non-semifinal New Year's Six game (Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual featuring USC vs. Penn State) ever.
ESPN's national championship television presentation delivered a 15.3 overnight combined rating, a top six event for ESPN on record across all sports. Birmingham delivered a 53.6 local rating, easily the best among all markets. The complete top markets:
Rank Rating Market
1 53.6 Birmingham
2 35.1 Greenville
3 28.2 Atlanta
4 26.6 Nashville
5 25.8 Knoxville
6 23.6 Charlotte
7 23.2 Jacksonville
8 22.9 New Orleans
9 22.5 Columbus
10 22.3 Memphis
College Football Playoff Semifinals were December 31 in 2015 (4 p.m. and 8 p.m.) and 2016 (3 p.m, and 7 p.m.); Games were televised on ESPN and ESPN2 both year and last year. Streaming audience includes multiple feeds for all metrics and comparisons
New Year's Six consists of Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual and Allstate Sugar Bowl. Each year, two of the games are College Football Playoff Semifinals.
**Overnight includes all of ESPN's Nielsen-rated networks which were part of the MegaCast (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU). SEC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic and ESPN Goal Line are not rated and thus not included
More than 26 Million Viewers Watched the College Football Playoff National Championship
· CFP National Championship: Most-Viewed Telecast Across All Cable Networks Since Last Season's National Championship; Rematch Nearly Matches Audience from 2016 Tigers-Crimson Tide National Championship Matchup
· ESPN Experiences Audience Gains for College Football Playoff; New Year's Six Plus National Championship Average Viewership Up Double Digits
The College Football Playoff National Championship between Clemson and Alabama (January 9 at 8 p.m. ET) delivered a total live audience across the multi-network MegaCast (TV feeds + streaming) of 26,029,000 viewers, the most-watched event carried on a cable network since the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship (January 11, 2016) between the same two teams (26,709,000 viewers).
The College Football Playoff three-game (semifinals + national championship) total live audience average was 22,230,000 viewers, up 9% from last season's same three game total live audience average (20,331,000 viewers). Factoring in the entire New Year's Six, the seven games (New Year's Six + national championship) averaged a total live audience of 16,044,000 viewers, up 15% from last season's seven game total live audience average (14,004,000 viewers).
College Football Playoff Dominates Cable's Most-Watched List
On just ESPN, the Tigers-Crimson Tide's TV viewership drew 24,391,000 viewers, the eighth most-watched cable telecast of all time. Overall, ESPN has televised the nine most-watched cable telecasts ever, with the College Football Playoff holding each of the top 3 spots (2015 National Championship and both 2015 Semifinals), as well as No. 6 (2016 National Championship) and No. 8.
Total live audience for 2017 and 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship includes TV viewership from ESPN's Nielsen-rated networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU) and streaming feeds which were part of the MegaCast. SEC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic and ESPN Goal Line are not rated and thus not included.
ESPN has aired a MegaCast for all three years of the College Football Playoff National Championship.