Ratings Roundup: NBC Notches Best Ever Premier League Opener; Yanks-Jays Series Sets Records for YES, Sportsnet

More than 4.2 million people tuned in to six Premier League telecasts on NBC, NBCSN and USA Saturday and Sunday – the most ever for an opening Premier League weekend in the U.S., and up 25% from the 3.3 million total for five games on NBC and NBCSN last year.

Saturday’s Chelsea-Swansea City match on NBC averaged 1 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched opening weekend game in U.S. history, topping by 14% last year’s opening weekend match on NBC (Arsenal v. Crystal Palace, 885,000). Saturday’s Manchester United-Tottenham match ranked as the most-watched early window Premier League game ever on NBCSN (626,000 viewers). In addition, Manchester United-Tottenham is the most-watched opening weekend match on cable in U.S. history, topping by 22% last year’s opening weekend Newcastle v. Manchester City match on NBCSN (514,000 viewers).

Fans streamed more than 14.8 million minutes of action – best-ever for a Premier League weekend (Sat-Mon) – via NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected devices, a 33% increase from last year’s 11.2 million minutes. Saturday’s Chelsea-Swansea City match ranks as the third-best NBC Premier League match ever streamed in unique users…

…Last weekend’s Toronto Blue Jays – New York Yankees series delivered big RSN numbers for Sportsnet and YES Network.

Sunday afternoon’s Toronto Blue Jays game on Sportsnet against the New York Yankees attracted an average audience of 1.43 million viewers (2+) – the highest Blue Jays audience of the season, and just behind the largest Blue Jays audience in network history, the 2013 Home Opener (1.44 million). The 3-game series vs. the Yankees had an average audience of 1.29 million viewers on Sportsnet, surpassing the recent series vs. the Twins on Aug 3 – 6 (1.24 million) as the most-watched Blue Jays series in network history. Sunday’s game also marks the seventh consecutive Blue Jays broadcast to eclipse the one million viewer mark, and the eleventh time overall this season. Since the MLB Trade Deadline (July 31), Sportsnet’s Blue Jays broadcasts are averaging 1.19 million viewers per game, and 1.23 million during the Blue Jays current 8-game win streak. Sportsnet is now averaging 684,000 viewers for its Blue Jays broadcasts in 2015.

Two nights prior, Friday night’s Blue Jays-Yankees game was the most-viewed and highest-rated Yankees telecast on YES this season.  The telecast generated an average of 450,000 viewers (4.38 average TV HH rating). The telecast peaked during the 9:30-9:45 quarter-hour, with 587,000 Total Viewers (6.05 TV HH rating). The telecast was #1 in the New York DMA in primetime in key demos, including Males 18+, Males 18-34, Males 25-54, Persons 18-49 and Persons 25-54. That game bested the Aug. 4 Red Sox-Yankees game, which was YES’ most-viewed Yankees telecast of the season with an average of 414,000 Total Viewers (a 4.17 average TV Household rating) in the New York DMA…

…NBC’s telecast of the Minnesota Vikings’ 14-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday night’s NFL/Hall of Fame Game averaged 11.0 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched preseason NFL game on any network in five years, since NBC’s telecast of the 2010 NFL/Hall of Fame Game (11.4 million for Bengals-Cowboys). Vikings-Steelers topped last year’s NFL/Hall of Fame Game telecast by 29% (8.5 million viewers for Giants-Bills) and ranks as the most-watched sporting event since the Women’s World Cup Final on July 5, which featured the victorious U.S. team (Fox, 22.3 million viewers). The telecast (8:11-11 p.m. ET), which earned a 6.6/12 U.S. household rating, led NBC to Sunday primetime victories in household rating, viewership and the Adult 18-49 demographic…

…NBCSN’s Sprint Cup race from Watkins Glen registered a 2.5 national rating and averaged 4 million viewers. Rating is up 13% above 2015 avg. on cable, but down 19% in ratings and viewership from last year (3.1, 4.9M). Excluding rainouts, Sunday’s telecast was the lowest rated edition of the race since at least 1999 and the least-watched since at least 2001. As recently as a decade ago, it had a 5.2 rating and 7.8 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network. (SMW via NBC PR Twitter)…

…Fox Deportes reported that last week’s second leg of the Copa Libertadores Final on Wednesday ranked as the best ever. Coverage averaged 979,000 total viewers and 640,000 in the Adult P18-49 demographic and took the top spot of the day among all Spanish-language cable networks. Overall, the 2015 Copa Libertadores Finals averaged 840,000 total viewers and 566,000 Adult 18-49. (Cynopsis Sports)