Audience Analysis: Heisman Rebounds; MLS Cup, EPL See Gains

ESPN on Saturday night bounced back from a record-low Heisman audience last year for the ceremony’s best figure since ’15. The net drew 2.9 million viewers for Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray’s win, which is the best figure since 3.1 million viewers watched Alabama RB Derrick Henry win three years ago. ESPN drew 2.2 million viewers last year as OU QB Baker Mayfield was the hands-down favorite to win going into the event. The record-high for ESPN remains ’09, when Alabama RB Mark Ingram won (5.99 million viewers). Following the Heisman telecast, ESPN drew 1.9 million viewers for a Top Rank Boxing contest, which saw Vasiliy Lomachenko defeat Jose Pedraza for the WBA and WBO light heavyweight titles. Last year following the Heisman, Lomachenko-Guillermo Rigondeaux drew 1.7 million viewers. ESPN used to air a football-themed “30 for 30” following the Heisman. The last one in ’16, “Catholics Vs. Convicts,” drew 2.1 million viewers. In ’15, “Four Falls Of Buffalo” drew 1.5 million viewers.

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THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN: Fox drew 25.1 million viewers for the NFL national window on Sunday, which featured Eagles-Cowboys in 85% of markets. That is the best Sunday window during the ’18 season to date, but still behind the two Thanksgiving Day games this year. The Sunday national window also drew an average minute audience of 338,120 viewers on Fox Sports Go, marking the most-streamed national window yet for the platform. “Fox NFL Sunday” also drew 5.2 million viewers on Sunday from 12:00-1:00pm ET, marking the pregame show’s best audience for ’18 to date.

SOME NON-BREXIT BRITISH NEWS: NBC and NBCSN are averaging 458,000 viewers for EPL game coverage this season to date (85 matches), up 1% from 452,000 viewers at the same point last season. NBC’s 15 matches to date are averaging 843,000 viewers, up 5%. NBC last Saturday drew 1.1 million viewers for Manchester City-Chelsea in the Saturday 12:30pm window, marking the net’s best EPL audience this season. That game was the showcase match as part of the “Premier League Mornings Live” fan fest event in N.Y. Meanwhile, NBCSN’s midweek matches, which have seen some more high-profile contests to start the ’18-19 season, also are up 15%.

THE FIVE STRIPES ARE SOLID: Fox on Saturday night drew the best MLS Cup Final audience since ’97, as Atlanta United won its first title over the Timbers. Saturday’s game drew 1.6 million viewers, which is the best since 2.2 million on ABC in ’97 for DC United-Rapids. It also compares to 1.4 million viewers in ’16 for Sounders-Toronto FC, which was the last time Fox had the championship. Last year, ESPN drew 803,000 viewers for an afternoon contest featuring TFC-Sounders.

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NOTES: Univision and Univision Deportes combined for 1.8 million viewers last Thursday for Game 1 of the Liga MX Apertura semifinals between Club America and UNAM. That is the top Liga MX audience this season to date....Fox averaged 1.5 million viewers for Kentucky-Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon, marking the net’s fourth-best college hoops audience on record....NBC on Sunday afternoon drew 723,000 viewers for the final round of the QBE Shark Shootout, down 11% from 815,000 viewers last year.

The chart below lists final audience figures from select recent sports telecasts.

Download the Final Audience Figures