Ratings Roundup: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Sees Highest Viewership Since 2018 in U.S., 1996 Across North America

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, UFL on FOX is up over 30% compared to last year’s viewership; ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One averages over 1.5 million viewers; and more.

ESPN Scores in Game 1 of NCAA WCWS Championship Series

• Best WCWS Game 1 Audience on Record
• 1.9M viewers, best WCWS audience since 2021 and second best since 2015
• Second most-streamed softball game on ESPN+

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Presented By Capital One Viewership Up Again

The June 2 edition of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Presented By Capital One – the St. Louis Cardinals at the Philadelphia Phillies – averaged 1,653,000 viewers, up three percent from the comparable game last season (New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers).

The Cardinals vs. Phillies game peaked with nearly two million viewers (1,981,000) at 9:45 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen. The June 2 broadcast was also up 16 percent from the 2023 full season average for Sunday Night Baseball.

ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage continues on Sunday, June 9, as the Phillies take on the New York Mets as part of MLB’s London Series at 10 a.m. Action continues on ESPN at 7 p.m. with Sunday Night Baseball Presented By Capital One when Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers visit Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees.

UFL on FOX Scores High Ratings for End of Regular Season

The UFL on FOX scored a strong finish to the regular season with 836,000 viewers tuning in Saturday for Week 10 St. Louis Battlehawks 13-12 win over the San Antonio Brahmas.

• Up +31% from last year’s equivalent Week 10 USFL average (637K)
• The game peaked at 1,674,000 viewers from 7:00 to 7:14 PM ET
• Sunday’s Memphis vs. Houston matchup peaked at 1,147,000 viewers, averaging 649K

CBS Sports Sees Strong Growth Across Platforms for UEFA Champions League Final

Real Madrid’s victory over Dortmund is the third most-watched UCL final ever in US English-language television history, up +6% vs. last year. The UCL Final averaged 2.323 million viewers on CBS making it the most-streamed soccer match of all time on Paramount+.

Paramount+ recorded its most-streamed UEFA Champions League season ever, with double-digit year-over-year growth in households, minutes and average minute audience.

CBS Sports Golazo Network had its most-streamed day of 2024 on Saturday.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TOP TEN METERED MARKETS, Sat, 6/1/24

1) Nashville

2) Boston (Manchester)

T3) Miami-Ft. Lauderdale

T3) Dayton

T3) Hartford & New Haven

T6) Atlanta

T6) Philadelphia

T6) Tulsa

T6) Ft. Myers-Naples

T10) New York

T10) San Francisco-Oak-San Jose

2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Are Most-Watched Through Three Rounds Across U.S. Since ’96; Conference Finals Across North America Up 34% YOY

Through three rounds, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most-watched playoffs since 1996 across the US and are the most-watched playoffs since 2018 across North America.

• Across North America, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals delivered an average audience of 3.9 million viewers, up 34% YOY. (ABC/ESPN/TNT/truTV/Sportsnet/CBC/TVA Sports)
• Across the US, the 2o24 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals delivered an average audience of 2 million viewers, up 26% YOY. The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs to date are up 14% YOY (1.3 million average audience) (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/TNT/TBS/truTV)

2024 Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final on ESPN Nets Up 42%

• Saturday’s Rangers-Panthers Game 6 averaged 3M total viewers (peaking at 3.7M) and 1.1M P18-49, up 90% and 85% vs. last year’s WCF Game 6 on ESPN (Vegas/Dallas), and up 91% and 61% vs. last year’s ECF average (Carolina/Florida) on TNT
• Through 6 games, the Eastern Conference Final averaged 2.3M total viewers and 852K P18-49, up 42% among both demos vs. the 2023 WCF on ESPN Nets
  • This is the second most-viewed Conference Final series since 2015
• Through 41 games. the Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN Nets are averaging 1.4M total viewers and 576K P18-49, up 22% and 16% vs. the comparable point in 2023
• ESPN+ viewership of Rangers-Panthers Game 6 was up 44% YoY
  • ESPN+ viewership of the NHL Eastern Conference Final series was up 38% YoY

2024 Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final on ESPN Nets Up 33%

• Thursday’s Panthers-Rangers Game 5 averaged 2.1M total viewers (peaking at 2.7M) and 738K P18-49, up 6% and 15% vs last year’s WCF Game 5 on ABC (Dallas/Vegas), and up 31% and 12% vs. last year’s ECF average (Caroline/Florida) on TNT
• Through 5 games, the Eastern Conference Final is averaging 2.2M total viewers and 814K P18-49, up 33% and 34% vs the first five games of the 2023 WCF on ESPN Nets
• Through 40 games, the Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN Nets are averaging 1.36M total viewers and 563K P18-49, up 20% and 14% vs. the comparable point in 2023
• ESPN+ viewership of Panthers-Rangers Game 5 was up 29% YoY