MLB Net is on pace for its best Q4 audience figures on record, fueled by its best postseason viewership on record. The cable net during the playoffs saw record viewership for primetime (219,000 viewers) and total-day (87,000). The net’s “MLB Tonight” studio show also had its best playoff figure, posting an average of 110,000 viewers. The combination of studio shows and two live LDS games led to the net’s best October audiences on record (232,000 viewers in primetime, 91,000 for total-day).
THE NINTH GATE: While CBS led Week 9 NFL windows with Colts-Packers in its national window, its 20.2 million viewers was the net’s least-viewed national window of the season to date. That audience also is down 18% from the same Week 9 window last year, which featured Broncos-Colts. CBS also saw a season low for its regional window with 11.2 million viewers. NBC drew 18.3 million viewers for its Broncos-Raiders “SNF” telecast in Week 9. Although it was the net’s best “SNF” audience since Week 3, it was still down sharply from 23.1 million viewers for Eagles-Cowboys in the same window last year. Fox on Sunday had its best singleheader of the ’16 season to date, drawing 20.2 million viewers. Cowboys-Browns was featured in many Fox markets, but when the score became lopsided, Fox flexed 15% of the country to Eagles-Giants as a preventive measure.
NOTES: NBA TV for its two Fan Night games to date this season is averaging 557,000 viewers, up from 525 the first two games last season….Election night on Tuesday averaged a combined 61.1 million viewers across ABC, CNN, CBS, Fox News, Fox, MSNBC and NBC, up from 58.2 million viewers in ’12, but down from 64.9 million viewers in ’08. Cable news was a big help this year, as the four broadcast nets averaged a combined 29.8 million viewers, which was actually down from 32.8 million viewers four years ago.
The chart below lists audience figures for select recent sports telecasts.
| TELECAST |
DATE
|
NET
|
TIME (ET)
|
RAT.
|
VIEWERS
(000)
|
| World Series: Cubs-Indians: Game 7 |
11/2
|
Fox
|
7:58pm-12:35pm
|
21.8
|
40,047
|
| World Series: Cubs-Indians: Game 6 |
11/1
|
Fox
|
8:04-11:40pm
|
13.3
|
23,398
|
| NFL nat'l window: Colts-Packers (87%) |
11/6
|
CBS
|
4:25-7:30pm
|
11.7
|
20,157
|
| NFL: (singleheader) |
11/6
|
Fox
|
1:03-4:05pm
|
11.6
|
20,152
|
| "SNF": Broncos-Raiders |
11/6
|
NBC
|
8:32-11:28pm
|
10.4
|
18,325
|
| NFL: (regional) |
11/6
|
CBS
|
1:03-4:15pm
|
6.9
|
11,323
|
| "MNF": Vikings-Bears |
10/31
|
ESPN
|
8:15-11:33pm
|
6.4
|
10,476
|
| College football: Alabama-LSU |
11/5
|
CBS
|
8:00-11:30pm
|
5.8
|
10,385
|
| "Football Night in America" |
11/6
|
NBC
|
7:30-8:21pm
|
4.4
|
7,638
|
| "TNF": Falcons-Buccabeers |
11/3
|
NFL Net
|
8:26-11:28pm
|
3.6
|
5,845
|
| "Fox NFL Sunday: |
11/6
|
Fox
|
12:00-1:03pm
|
3.5
|
5,523
|
| College football: Nebraska-Ohio State |
11/5
|
ABC
|
8:07pm-11:55pm
|
2.8
|
4,969
|
| College football: Florida-Arkansas |
11/5
|
CBS
|
3:30-7:06pm
|
2.6
|
4,261
|
| NBA: Thunder-Warriors |
11/3
|
TNT
|
10:50pm-1:19am
|
2.2
|
3,763
|
| "The NFL Today" |
11/6
|
CBS
|
12:00-1:03pm
|
2.3
|
3,513
|
| College football: (regional)* |
11/5
|
ABC
|
3:30-6:55pm
|
1.7
|
2,595
|
| NBA: Warriors-Lakers |
11/4
|
ESPN
|
10:36pm-1:03am
|
n/a
|
2,494
|
| College football: Notre Dame-Navy |
11/5
|
CBS
|
11:30am-3:00pm
|
1.6
|
2,420
|
| College football: Wisconsin-Northwestern |
11/5
|
ABC
|
12:01-3:30pm
|
1.6
|
2,397
|
| College football: Maryland-Michigan |
11/5
|
ESPN
|
3:30-6:45pm
|
1.5
|
2,320
|
| NBA: Celtics-Cavaliers |
11/3
|
TNT
|
8:14-10:50pm
|
n/a
|
2,274
|
| Breeders' Cup Classic |
11/5
|
NBC
|
8:00-9:02pm
|
1.5
|
2,264
|
| College football: Vanderbilt-Auburn |
11/5
|
ESPN
|
12:00-3:24pm
|
1.3
|
2,057
|
| NBA: Knicks-Bulls |
11/4
|
ESPN
|
8:05-10:36pm
|
n/a
|
1,998
|
| "College Football Today" |
11/5
|
CBS
|
3:00-3:30pm
|
1.3
|
1,909
|
| "Sunday NFL Countdown" |
11/6
|
ESPN
|
11:00am-1:00pm
|
n/a
|
1,710
|
| "Monday Night Countdown" |
10/31
|
ESPN
|
6:00-8:15pm
|
n/a
|
1,628
|
| "Fox NFL Kickoff" |
11/6
|
Fox
|
11:00am-12:00pm
|
1.0
|
1,549
|
NASCAR Xfinity Series:
O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge (Texas) |
11/5
|
NBC
|
3:50-6:00pm
|
0.9
|
1,374
|
| College football: TCU-Baylor |
11/5
|
Fox
|
3:36-7:00pm
|
0.9
|
1,365
|
| Liga MX: Leon-Chivas |
11/5
|
Univision
|
8:58-11:04pm
|
0.6
|
1,003
|
| Liga MX: Cruz Azul-Pachuca |
11/5
|
Univision
|
6:55-8:58pm
|
0.5
|
806
|
| EPL: Chelsea-Everton |
11/5
|
NBC
|
1:30-3:30pm
|
0.5
|
693
|
| TCS N.Y. Marathon |
11/6
|
ABC
|
4:00-6:00pm
|
0.5
|
692
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: * = Syracuse-Clemson and Oklahoma State-Kansas State.
