ESPN averaged 1.4 million viewers in primetime in Q3, relatively flat compared to the same period last year, while the net’s total-day viewership was down 3%. The net in Q3 saw gains for such properties as the NBA Summer League and “Sunday Night Baseball.” ESPN's three “MNF” games that fell under Q3 were down around 5%, but were impacted by a lack of Florida markets reporting due to Hurricane Irma (as were all networks). For all of linear cable TV, ESPN ranked fifth in primetime for Q3, behind only Fox News, MSNBC, USA Net and HGTV. Being flat would have been good news for many networks in the top 10 on cable, as six of the top 10 saw year-over-year declines. For instance, Fox News saw an 11% decline in Q3, while CNN was down 11%. The big winner on cable TV in Q3 was MSNBC, which was up 43% in primetime and 40% in total-day.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: NFL Network was a big winner in Q3, as the net for the first time since ’13 had two “TNF” games exclusively to start the season. CBS was the primary carrier the last three years. In primetime, NFL Net saw a 48% increase over ’16. Compared to the similar period in ’13 with game exclusivity, NFL Net was down 11%.
STILL ON TOP: Much has been made of close competition between ESPN2 and FS1, but ESPN2 had a 14% advantage in primetime in Q3, and a 39% advantage in total-day. ESPN2 also saw its best figure in Q3 since ’14. Meanwhile, FS1 was up 11% in primetime and up 21% in total-day for Q3.
NO RING ON IT: Without live Olympic coverage this year, NBCSN saw an expected drop in viewership for Q3. The net was down 44% in primetime and 41% in total-day. But for Golf Channel, which last summer covered the return of the sports to the Olympics, the drop-off was not as precipitous. The net was down only 3% in total-day and had its second-best average on record for Q3. Without the Olympics, Golf Channel was fueled by the early round coverage of the Open Championship and the first few events of the PGA Tour FedExCup Playoffs.
HOT & COLD: Univision Deportes saw big growth during Q3 in both primetime and total-day. Fueled by strong numbers for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Liga MX, MLS and the recently added Bundesliga, the cable net was up 49% in primetime and up 27% in total-day. Meanwhile, despite gains for Summer League action, NBA TV saw a 27% drop for Q3 in primetime and an 11% drop for total-day audience.
|
Q3 PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP
|
|
NETWORK
|
'17 (000)
|
'16 (000)
|
1-YEAR % +/-
|
'15 (000)
|
'14 (000)
|
|
ESPN
|
1,424
|
1,428
|
0%
|
1,280
|
1,883
|
|
NFL Network
|
508
|
344
|
48%
|
307
|
417
|
|
ESPN2
|
340
|
317
|
7%
|
328
|
493
|
|
FS1
|
298
|
268
|
11%
|
239
|
237
|
|
NBCSN
|
262
|
469
|
-44%
|
239
|
128
|
|
MLB Network
|
200
|
198
|
1%
|
170
|
186
|
|
Univision Deportes
|
194
|
130
|
49%
|
142
|
90
|
|
Golf Channel
|
124
|
113
|
10%
|
108
|
119
|
|
ESPNU
|
81
|
81
|
0%
|
75
|
114
|
|
Tennis Channel
|
54
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
NBA TV
|
52
|
71
|
-27%
|
55
|
73
|
|
FS2
|
39
|
30
|
30%
|
33
|
15
|
|
Fox Deportes
|
37
|
45
|
-18%
|
37
|
46
|
|
BeIN Sports
|
11
|
11
|
0%
|
11
|
14
|
|
Q3 TOTAL-DAY VIEWERSHIP
|
|
NETWORK
|
'17 (000)
|
'16 (000)
|
1-YEAR % +/-
|
'15 (000)
|
'14 (000)
|
|
ESPN
|
611
|
633
|
-3%
|
620
|
945
|
|
NFL Network
|
208
|
172
|
21%
|
165
|
196
|
|
ESPN2
|
189
|
235
|
-20%
|
218
|
277
|
|
NBCSN
|
173
|
295
|
-41%
|
153
|
88
|
|
FS1
|
136
|
112
|
21%
|
92
|
104
|
|
Golf Channel
|
118
|
122
|
-3%
|
99
|
107
|
|
MLB Network
|
101
|
105
|
-4%
|
95
|
89
|
|
Univision Deportes
|
56
|
44
|
27%
|
46
|
43
|
|
ESPNU
|
47
|
48
|
-2%
|
43
|
62
|
|
NBA TV
|
33
|
37
|
-11%
|
32
|
41
|
|
Tennis Channel
|
30
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
FS2
|
25
|
19
|
32%
|
16
|
11
|
|
Fox Deportes
|
19
|
20
|
-5%
|
18
|
21
|
|
BeIN Sports
|
9
|
10
|
-10%
|
9
|
12
|
NOTES: Figures not available for nets that do not subscribe to regular ratings, including ESPNews, Pac-12 Nets, Big Ten Net, CBS Sports Net, SEC Net, Longhorn Net and NHL Net.
