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TV ratings for sports other than hockey

Kirk Van Houten

Kirk Van Houten

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May 7, 2019
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https://x.com/ByMikeMitchell/status/1782778009545556243

Some silver linings, but softer start to NBA Playoffs

The opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs averaged a 2.0 rating and 3.77 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, TNT and truTV, down 8% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (2.2, 4.15M), which was the most-watched opening weekend since 2011 (4.32M).

Saturday’s Lakers-Nuggets Game 1 was the top game of the weekend (NBA or otherwise) with a 2.8 and 5.65 million on ABC, down 13% in ratings and 10% in viewership from Warriors-Kings last year (3.2, 6.56M), but still the second-largest audience on the opening Saturday of the playoffs since 1999. Sixers-Knicks preceded with a 2.1 and 4.19 million on ESPN, up a tick in ratings and 7% in viewership from Knicks-Cavaliers last year (2.0, 3.91M) and the network’s top opening weekend playoff game since it resumed NBA coverage in the 2002-03 season.
 
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Reaser

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May 19, 2021
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Kirk Van Houten said:


MLS better get good numbers on Apple TV
Click to expand...


We can deduce some things applying logic. Apple subs would obviously be down this year, minus all the free subs that were given out not just in the U.S., but around the world. Most of those -except STH- don't exist this season. Also, the jump from under a mil subs to a final of near two mil subs, MLS said a majority of those new subs came from "South America and Europe" (for Messi, obviously) which isn't a bad thing business wise but does nothing for "U.S. viewership."

So less people with Apple subs = less people watching on Apple. Certainly less in the U.S. since majority of the "for Messi" subs would still come from outside the U.S..

With less people watching on Apple you'd assume more people would then be watching on FOX/FS1, as that would be their only option to watch MLS. Yet, the last Saturday match on FOX did 196k ... under 200k, on a Big 4 network! That's nearly impossible to do for a live sporting event, yet that's MLS.

The usual response to poor MLS linear #'s this season and last is that "millions are watching on Apple!" Which defies logic, of course.

Another way to find a true viewership number for MLS is to eliminate the games that are also streaming. Which happens when MLS teams play in the Concacaf Champions Cup -- a competition infinitely more important than largely meaningless MLS regular season matches. So linear-only, all MLS fans watching and those matches do numbers like 88k on FS1. Which sums that up.

As for streaming, the standard always is hide the numbers unless they're good. That the only numbers we've ever heard for Apple MLS matches are last season "a couple Messi games did over a million" (again, worldwide, so not a U.S.-only number) says that not much else is being watched, at least to any extent worth mentioning, giving a general idea of or even hinting at.
 
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Kirk Van Houten

Kirk Van Houten

Registered User
May 7, 2019
1,170
1,352
Reaser said:
We can deduce some things applying logic. Apple subs would obviously be down this year, minus all the free subs that were given out not just in the U.S., but around the world. Most of those -except STH- don't exist this season. Also, the jump from under a mil subs to a final of near two mil subs, MLS said a majority of those new subs came from "South America and Europe" (for Messi, obviously) which isn't a bad thing business wise but does nothing for "U.S. viewership."

So less people with Apple subs = less people watching on Apple. Certainly less in the U.S. since majority of the "for Messi" subs would still come from outside the U.S..

With less people watching on Apple you'd assume more people would then be watching on FOX/FS1, as that would be their only option to watch MLS. Yet, the last Saturday match on FOX did 196k ... under 200k, on a Big 4 network! That's nearly impossible to do for a live sporting event, yet that's MLS.

The usual response to poor MLS linear #'s this season and last is that "millions are watching on Apple!" Which defies logic, of course.

Another way to find a true viewership number for MLS is to eliminate the games that are also streaming. Which happens when MLS teams play in the Concacaf Champions Cup -- a competition infinitely more important than largely meaningless MLS regular season matches. So linear-only, all MLS fans watching and those matches do numbers like 88k on FS1. Which sums that up.

As for streaming, the standard always is hide the numbers unless they're good. That the only numbers we've ever heard for Apple MLS matches are last season "a couple Messi games did over a million" (again, worldwide, so not a U.S.-only number) says that not much else is being watched, at least to any extent worth mentioning, giving a general idea of or even hinting at.
Click to expand...
Apple now wants the FIFA Club World Cup of 2025 will see how it goes
 
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Kirk Van Houten

Kirk Van Houten

Registered User
May 7, 2019
1,170
1,352

www.sportsmediawatch.com

NBA playoff viewership sees modest decline through first week

Ratings for the NBA Playoffs have suffered only a modest decline through the second weekend of play, though challenges lie ahead.
www.sportsmediawatch.com www.sportsmediawatch.com

NBA playoff games averaged a 1.7 rating and 3.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, TNT and truTV through Sunday, down a tick in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (1.8, 3.36M) but flat and up 5% respectively from 2022 (1.7, 3.15M). ABC aired six games through Sunday, one more than in previous seasons. The Lakers, who were eliminated Monday night, have played in five of the ten most-watched NBA telecasts this season (five of the top eight excluding All-Star events).
 
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