ESPN again dominated all cable sports networks in primetime in '16, but drew its lowest viewership figure in at least a decade. The net averaged 1.95 million viewers in primetime, down 9% from '15. But ESPN's figure was 307% higher than FS1, which ranked No. 2 among sports nets with 479,000 viewers in primetime. It was the first time ESPN’s primetime average was under 2 million viewers since ’07. The Worldwide Leader also lost its mantle as cable TV’s most-viewed channel. Fox News rode the election cycle to a new record and the top spot, beating ESPN by 26% in primetime. ESPN had been the top cable net the past two years. It was No. 2 from '09-13. But ESPN’s 9% drop for primetime was in line with many other top 10 cable nets, such as USA (-8%), TBS (-12%), TNT (-11%), History (-10%) and Discovery (-10%).
|
TOP PRIMETIME CABLE NETWORK VIEWERSHIP
|
|
NETWORK
|
'16 (000)
|
'15 (000)
|
% +/-
|
|
Fox News
|
2,466
|
1,825
|
35%
|
|
ESPN
|
1,950
|
2,148
|
-9%
|
|
USA Network
|
1,677
|
1,815
|
-8%
|
|
TBS
|
1,583
|
1,796
|
-12%
|
|
HGTV
|
1,572
|
1,498
|
5%
|
|
TNT
|
1,532
|
1,713
|
-11%
|
|
Discovery
|
1,396
|
1,547
|
-10%
|
|
History
|
1,330
|
1,486
|
-10%
|
|
Disney Channel
|
1,309
|
1,713
|
-24%
|
|
CNN
|
1,273
|
730
|
74%
|
PRIME NUMBERS: FS1 and NBCSN for the first time topped ESPN2 in year-long primetime viewership. FS1, riding strong numbers for the MLB Playoffs, saw primetime numbers jump 21% in ’16. It was the second straight year of record viewership for FS1. The Rio Games helped NBCSN to a second straight year of record viewership, with the net up 7% in primetime. ESPN2 finished No. 4 in primetime among sports cable nets, but down 19% from '15. ESPNU also dropped 15%. Univision Deportes and MLB Network also saw record primetime audiences in ’16. MLB Net was boosted by its best Q4 on record, which was up 107% from the same period in ’15. The net was boosted by NLDS Cubs-Giants Game 2. Seeing a tough year in primetime was NFL Network, which struggled with game audience figures during the regular season. NFL Net was down 19% in primetime in ’16.
|
CABLE SPORTS NET PRIMETIME AUDIENCE
|
|
NETWORK
|
'16 (000)
|
'15 (000)
|
'14 (000)
|
'13 (000)
|
'12 (000)
|
|
ESPN
|
1,950
|
2,148
|
2,321
|
2,210
|
2,343
|
|
FS1
|
479
|
397
|
340
|
246
|
202
|
|
NBCSN
|
392
|
367
|
300
|
280
|
244
|
|
ESPN2
|
354
|
436
|
469
|
489
|
476
|
|
NFL Network
|
351
|
398
|
385
|
406
|
381
|
|
Univison Deportes
|
209
|
156
|
106
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
MLB Network
|
146
|
142
|
132
|
141
|
106
|
|
Golf Channel
|
126
|
124
|
123
|
142
|
139
|
|
NBA TV
|
118
|
109
|
128
|
118
|
123
|
|
ESPNU
|
98
|
115
|
116
|
117
|
n/a
|
|
Fox Deportes
|
62
|
60
|
69
|
73
|
n/a
|
|
FS2
|
33
|
39
|
23
|
37
|
40
|
|
beIN Sport
|
14
|
21
|
16
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
DAY TO DAY: ESPN also was the dominant cable sports net again for total-day viewership, averaging 810,000 viewers on a 24-hour basis, but that figure was its lowest in at least a decade and 10% lower than ’15. Among the entire cable ecosystem, ESPN’s total-day audience ranked No. 8. ESPN2 remained second among sports networks in total day, but its figure of 245,000 viewers also was its lowest in at least a decade. FS1 had a second straight year of record total-day viewership, while NBCSN had a record for a third straight year. NBCSN was boosted by the NASCAR Cup Series race from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, which marked the net’s most-viewed program on record (5.2 million viewers). NBA TV also saw a 10% rise in total-day audience. Golf Channel saw an 8% rise in total-day viewership, as the net for the first time aired a major championship and coverage of a domestic Ryder Cup. Golf Channel set a daily viewership record twice in ’16 -- first during the second round of the British Open on July 15 and then on Day 1 of the Ryder Cup on Sept. 30. This past year was Golf Channel’s second-best audience on record, behind only ’13. Millenials helped boost the net’s audience as well, with growth in the 25-34 demo up 33%.
|
CABLE SPORTS NET TOTAL-DAY AUDIENCE
|
|
NETWORK
|
'16 (000)
|
'15 (000)
|
'14 (000)
|
'13 (000)
|
'12 (000)
|
|
ESPN
|
817
|
906
|
1,016
|
975
|
1,020
|
|
ESPN2
|
245
|
269
|
274
|
277
|
285
|
|
FS1
|
182
|
164
|
131
|
123
|
121
|
|
NBCSN
|
173
|
153
|
148
|
96
|
104
|
|
NFL Network
|
159
|
163
|
164
|
163
|
152
|
|
Golf Channel
|
109
|
101
|
100
|
110
|
96
|
|
MLB Network
|
79
|
82
|
71
|
68
|
53
|
|
Univison Deportes
|
61
|
50
|
45
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
NBA TV
|
56
|
51
|
58
|
55
|
60
|
|
ESPNU
|
52
|
56
|
62
|
61
|
n/a
|
|
Fox Deportes
|
27
|
28
|
32
|
36
|
n/a
|
|
FS2
|
21
|
22
|
15
|
23
|
21
|
|
beIN Sport
|
13
|
17
|
14
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
NOTES: Speed became FS1 on Aug. 17, 2013, and Fuel TV became FS2.
