Sports Ratings Highlights for Week of April 22-28: NFL Draft Edition
More evidence of the dominance of the NFL: the first round of the NFL Draft was seen by 7.7 million people across ESPN and NFL Network and drew a 3.6 18-49 rating. Only one show on broadcast drew more 18-49 viewers on Thursday: The Big Bang Theory. It did better than the Syracuse/Marquette Elite Eight game, all but one Sweet 16 game, and all but two or three games from the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend, and the only better audiences ESPN has attracted for event programming so far this calendar year have been for college bowl games. The NFL Draft, which once puzzled Pete Roselle why ESPN would even want to televise it, wouldn’t be out of place on a broadcast network. Even Friday’s second-round coverage attracted more viewers than all but one game of the NBA Playoffs on cable for the week, and its 1.6 18-49 rating beat all but two shows on broadcast – though it may have been boosted by the likes of Geno Smith, Manti Te’o, and Matt Barkley still being on the board. And late-round coverage on Saturday did better than an NBA Playoff game later in the night, and they couldn’t all be watching to see the first two days rehashed ad nauseam. (Note: For Friday and Saturday, I took a weighted average of coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 before adding the NFLN numbers.)
Numbers compiled from a variety of sources, including TV by the Numbers, The Futon Critic, Sports Media Watch, and Son of the Bronx.
Vwr (mil) |
HH |
18-49 |
Time |
Net |
|
NFL Draft: Round 1 (combined) |
7.721 |
5.0 |
3.6 |
4/25 8:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
NASCAR: Toyota Owners 400 |
6.1 |
3.7 |
|
4/27 7:30 PM |
FOX |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
6 |
3.8 |
|
4/28 3:30 PM |
ABC |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
4.9 |
3.3 |
|
4/28 1:00 PM |
ABC |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
4.32 |
|
2.0 |
4/24 9:52 PM |
TNT |
NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3 (combined) |
3.7 |
2.6 |
1.6 |
4/26 6:30 PM |
ESPN/2 |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
3.513 |
|
1.5 |
4/28 7:09 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
3.377 |
|
1.4 |
4/23 8:09 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
3.257 |
2.1 |
1.4 |
4/27 9:49 PM |
ESPN |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
3.196 |
|
1.4 |
4/28 9:35 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
3.102 |
|
1.5 |
4/22 10:46 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
3.055 |
|
1.3 |
4/24 7:09 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
2.988 |
|
1.3 |
4/22 8:09 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
2.891 |
1.9 |
1.3 |
4/26 8:00 PM |
ESPN |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
2.881 |
2.0 |
1.3 |
4/26 10:40 PM |
ESPN |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
2.869 |
|
1.4 |
4/23 10:46 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
2.574 |
|
1.2 |
4/25 9:46 PM |
TNT |
NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7 (combined) |
2.221 |
1.5 |
|
4/27 12:00 PM |
ESPN/2 |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
2.127 |
|
0.8 |
4/25 7:09 PM |
TNT |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
1.966 |
1.3 |
0.8 |
4/27 6:59 PM |
ESPN |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
1.392 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
4/26 10:30 PM |
ESPN2 |
UFC 159 Prelims |
1.382 |
0.8 |
4/27 8:00 PM |
FX |
|
30 for 30: Elway to Marino |
1.059 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
4/23 8:00 PM |
ESPN |
NBA Playoffs, First Round: |
0.764 |
0.5 |
4/23 7:30 PM |
NBATV |
Click More for the top 20 most viewed events for the last week of March, plus the top 25 most viewed events for the first quarter of the year.
Top 20 Most-Viewed Sports Events for Week of March 25-31: NCAA Tournament Second Weekend Edition
SBD did not report viewers for Duke/Louisville, so I’m assuming the numbers reported for the game’s overrun into primetime are the numbers for the whole game, as was the case during the NFL Playoffs. The same goes for UNC/Kansas in the first-three-months table below.
These numbers are delayed a month to wait for SportsBusiness Daily’s ratings roundup to come out of the paywall. Other numbers from the same sources as before. Numbers in gray interpolated based on the rest of the chart.
Vwr (mil) |
HH |
18-49 |
Time |
Net |
||
1 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
15.65 |
8.8 |
4.9 |
3/31 5:00 PM |
CBS |
2 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
11.292 |
6.8 |
|
3/30 7:00 PM |
CBS |
3 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
9.4 |
5.7 |
|
3/31 2:15 PM |
CBS |
4 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
7.99 |
5.1 |
2.8 |
3/28 9:30 PM |
CBS |
5 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
7.6 |
4.2 |
|
3/30 4:15 PM |
CBS |
6 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
7.108 |
4.6 |
2.3 |
3/29 9:46 PM |
CBS |
7 |
FIFA World Cup Qualifying: |
6.962 |
3.7 |
3/26 10:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
8 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
6.739 |
4.1 |
2.6 |
3/29 10:30 PM |
TBS |
9 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
6.463 |
3.9 |
2.2 |
3/29 7:20 PM |
TBS |
10 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
5.963 |
3.9 |
1.7 |
3/29 7:00 PM |
CBS |
11 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
5.77 |
3.8 |
1.7 |
3/28 7:00 PM |
CBS |
12 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
4.653 |
3.0 |
1.6 |
3/28 7:30 PM |
TBS |
13 |
NBA: Heat @ Bulls (end of streak) |
3.896 |
2.5 |
1.7 |
3/27 8:05 PM |
ESPN |
14 |
(Liga MX: CD Guadalajara v. Club America) |
2.571 |
1.2 |
3/31 9:55 PM |
Telm’do |
|
15 |
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: |
2.336 |
1.5 |
0.9 |
3/28 10:25 PM |
TBS |
16 |
MLB Opening Night: |
2.268 |
1.4 |
0.9 |
3/31 7:50 PM |
ESPN |
17 |
NBA: Heat @ Magic (extend streak to 27) |
1.921 |
1.3 |
0.8 |
3/25 7:00 PM |
ESPN |
18 |
Shell Houston Open: Final Round |
1.9 |
1.3 |
|
3/31 3:00 PM |
NBC |
19 |
NBA: Clippers @ Mavericks |
1.629 |
|
0.6 |
3/26 9:46 PM |
TNT |
20 |
Shell Houston Open: Third Round |
1.6 |
1.2 |
|
3/30 3:00 PM |
NBC |
Top 25 Most-Viewed Sports Events Through the First Three Months of 2013:
Vwr (mil) |
HH |
18-49 |
Time |
Net |
||
1 |
Super Bowl XLVII: |
108.693 |
46.4 |
39.7 |
2/3 6:32 PM |
CBS |
2 |
AFC Championship Game: |
47.707 |
25.5 |
16.8 |
1/20 6:45 PM |
CBS |
3 |
NFC Championship Game: |
42 |
24.2 |
|
1/20 3:00 PM |
FOX |
4 |
NFC Wild Card Game: |
38.1 |
21.5 |
13.4 |
1/6 4:30 PM |
FOX |
5 |
AFC Divisional Game: |
37.66 |
21.7 |
12.8 |
1/13 4:30 PM |
CBS |
6 |
AFC Divisional Game: |
35.3 |
|
|
1/12 4:30 PM |
CBS |
7 |
NFC Divisional Game: |
32.1 |
19.3 |
|
1/13 1:00 PM |
FOX |
8 |
NFC Divisional Game: |
30.9 |
16.9 |
|
1/12 8:00 PM |
FOX |
9 |
NFC Wild Card Game: |
30.3 |
17.3 |
10.5 |
1/5 8:00 PM |
NBC |
10 |
AFC Wild Card Game: |
29.6 |
18.1 |
|
1/6 1:00 PM |
CBS |
11 |
BCS Championship Game: |
26.38 |
15.1 |
9.2 |
1/7 8:25 PM |
ESPN |
12 |
AFC Wild Card Game: |
23.6 |
14.4 |
|
1/5 4:30 PM |
NBC |
13 |
Rose Bowl: |
17.024 |
9.4 |
4.7 |
1/1 5:08 PM |
ESPN |
14 |
NASCAR: Daytona 500 |
16.7 |
9.9 |
|
2/24 1:00 PM |
FOX |
15 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
15.65 |
8.8 |
4.9 |
3/31 5:00 PM |
CBS |
16 |
Fiesta Bowl: |
12.306 |
7.4 |
4.0 |
1/3 8:30 PM |
ESPN |
17 |
Pro Bowl |
12.156 |
7.1 |
4.0 |
1/27 7:31 PM |
NBC |
18 |
Cotton Bowl: |
11.94 |
7.2 |
3.5 |
1/4 8:00 PM |
FOX |
19 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
11.292 |
6.8 |
|
3/30 7:00 PM |
CBS |
20 |
NCAA Tournament Third Round: |
11.24 |
|
4.0 |
3/24 5:00 PM |
CBS |
21 |
Capitol One Bowl: |
11 |
6.6 |
|
1/1 1:00 PM |
ABC |
22 |
NCAA Tournament Third Round: |
10.6 |
6.8 |
|
3/24 2:57 PM |
CBS |
23 |
Orange Bowl: |
10.562 |
6.1 |
3.5 |
1/1 8:51 PM |
ESPN |
24 |
Sugar Bowl: |
10.125 |
6.2 |
3.3 |
1/2 8:26 PM |
ESPN |
25 |
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: |
9.4 |
5.7 |
|
3/31 2:15 PM |
CBS |