The MLS Cup finale moved back to cable this year after airing on broadcast TV last year for the first time since '08, and the overnight rating for the game subsequently dropped. ESPN on Saturday night drew a 0.7 overnight for Toronto FC's 2-0 win over the Sounders, down 30% from a 1.0 overnight on Fox last year for the same matchup in the same time slot, which ended in penalty kicks. While down from last year, TFC-Sounders on Saturday was up from a 0.4 for Timbers-Crew in '15, which aired on ESPN on a Sunday afternoon up against NFL action. It also was the best MLS Cup overnight for ESPN (or any cable net) since a 0.7 in '12 for Galaxy-Dynamo. Seattle-Tacoma led all U.S. markets with a 7.0 on Saturday night, but that is down from a 9.9 local rating on Fox last year. Toronto is not a Nielsen-measured market.
AFTER PARY: ESPN in recent years has aired a "30 for 30" documentary following the Heisman ceremony, but this year aired a Top Rank boxing card. The card, which featured Vasiliy Lomachenko's win over Guillermo Ridondeaux, drew a 1.3 overnight on Saturday night, marking the second-best boxing card on cable TV for '17. That figure is down slightly from the premiere of "Catholics vs. Convicts" in the window last year.
The chart below lists overnight ratings from weekend sports telecasts on broadcast TV.
| TELECAST |
DATE
|
NET
|
TIME (ET)
|
RAT.
|
| "World of X Games: Real Ski" |
12/9
|
ABC
|
2:00-3:00pm
|
0.5
|
| "Championship Drive: Playoff Preview" |
12/9
|
ABC
|
3:00-4:00pm
|
0.4
|
| "The Herbie Awards" |
12/9
|
ABC
|
4:00-5:00pm
|
0.4
|
| College basketball: UCLA-Michigan |
12/9
|
CBS
|
12:00-2:30pm
|
1.2
|
| "College Football Today" |
12/9
|
CBS
|
2:30-3:00pm
|
2.0
|
| College football: Army-Navy |
12/9
|
CBS
|
3:00-6:30pm
|
5.6
|
| "UFC Road to the Octagon" |
12/9
|
Fox
|
1:30-2;30pm
|
0.3
|
| College basketball: VCU-Seton Hall |
12/9
|
Fox
|
3:00-5:15pm
|
0.4
|
| EPL: Newcastle-Leicester City |
12/9
|
NBC
|
12:30-2:30pm
|
0.7
|
| Ironman World Championships (taped) |
12/9
|
NBC
|
2:30-4:00pm
|
0.6
|
| Toyota U.S. Grand Prix: Snowboard Halfpipe (taped) |
12/9
|
NBC
|
4:00-6:00pm
|
0.7
|
| "The NFL Today" |
12/10
|
CBS
|
12:00-1:00pm
|
2.1
|
| NFL: (singleheader) |
12/10
|
CBS
|
1:00-4:15pm
|
8.6
|
| "Fox NFL Kickoff" |
12/10
|
Fox
|
11:00am-12:00pm
|
1.4
|
| "Fox NFL Sunday" |
12/10
|
Fox
|
12:00-1:00pm
|
3.6
|
| NFL: (regional) |
12/10
|
Fox
|
1:00-4:15pm
|
10.4
|
| NFL national window: Eagles-Rams (90%) |
12/10
|
Fox
|
4:15-7:30pm
|
16.0
|
| Swimming: U.S. Short Course Nationals (taped) |
12/10
|
NBC
|
12:00-1:00pm
|
0.7
|
| Toyota U.S. Grand Prix: Freestyle Halfpipe (taped) |
12/10
|
NBC
|
1:00-2:00pm
|
0.5
|
| Golf: QBE Shootout: Final Round |
12/10
|
NBC
|
2:00-4:00pm
|
0.6
|
| ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating (taped) |
12/10
|
NBC
|
4:00-6:00pm
|
0.8
|
| "Football Night in America" |
12/10
|
NBC
|
7:30-8:15pm
|
3.4
|
| "SNF": Ravens-Steelers |
12/10
|
NBC
|
8:30-11:30pm
|
11.6
|
