Added the complete ESPN audience TV rating for the LAFC vs Inter-Miami game MLS TV 2020 TV Ratings ESPN Networks FOX Networks Univision Networks Week 1 HOU v LA Galaxy 558K UNI Feb 29 330pm Nash v ATL 756K FOX Feb 29 Sat 8pm SEA v CHI 311K ESPN March 1 Sun 3pm LAFC v Inter Miami 652K Mar 1 Sun 530pm POR v MIN 229K FS1 Mar 1 Sun 730pm Total Network Average 510.7k Average ESPN Networks 481.5k Average Fox Networks 492.5.6k Average Univision Networks 558k All ratings are sourced from the below sites http://www.showbuzzdaily.com (Search MLS or Major League Soccer) http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/?s=MLS http://worldsoccertalk.com/category/tv-ratings/ https://programminginsider.com/category/ratings/
25th season of @MLS on ESPN is off to a strong start!More: https://t.co/pFymHyePKS pic.twitter.com/ysuzYMgRsY— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 4, 2020
That's great and all but what happened in 2011 to top a big sports market against a super hyped debuting team?
From @flasportsbuzz : Inter Miami posted a solid 1.5 TV rating in Miami-Ft Laud for its 1st game. As perspective, the most-watched Panthers game this season had a 0.7. Last year’s most-watched Marlins game got 1.7. The Heat averages 2.9. @MiamiHerald @HeraldSports @InterMiamiCF— Michelle Kaufman (@kaufsports) March 4, 2020
So, with the new data, I have a new “assumptions figure” if you will. This assumption is that the FOX and FS1 broadcast drew 40k on FOXD, and that the HOU-LAG game on Univision has 108k OOH viewers which is this week’s average OOH viewership. Making those assumptions, gross weekend media viewership was 3,164,000 viewers for an average over the five games of 632,800 viewers per match. Two matches were known to top 800k viewers including all sources. What’s the last time that happened without a major lead in like Olympics or World Cup?
In a couple weeks LAFC and Miami will play a rematch. That will be broadcast over the air on FOX at 3PM. This should be another pleasing number.
https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2020/03/lafc-inter-miami-cf-nets-most-viewed-mls-season-opener-on-espn-and-espn-deportes-since-2011-combined-viewership-is-up-44-percent/
Added the complete viewing number for the Seattle vs Chicago match. MLS TV 2020 TV Ratings ESPN Networks FOX Networks Univision Networks Week 1 HOU v LA Galaxy 558K UNI Feb 29 330pm Nash v ATL 756K FOX Feb 29 Sat 8pm SEA v CHI 350K ESPN March 1 Sun 3pm LAFC v Inter Miami 652K Mar 1 Sun 530pm POR v MIN 229K FS1 Mar 1 Sun 730pm Total Network Average 517.3k Average ESPN Networks 501.5k Average Fox Networks 492.5.6k Average Univision Networks 558k All ratings are sourced from the below sites http://www.showbuzzdaily.com (Search MLS or Major League Soccer) http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/?s=MLS http://worldsoccertalk.com/category/tv-ratings/ https://programminginsider.com/category/ratings/
And...that is the thing that is often lost in the discussion of MLS TV ratings by even some folks that follow the league like Sam Stejskal and Jason Davis when they did discuss MLS viewership. I bring them up cause I they've just been the few I've heard be critical of MLS viewership before the season. Too many people just look at the overall viewership number and then make a opinion. TV viewership is not about the overall viewership but the internal demo breakdown of 18-49 year olds, followed by the super targeted 18-34 yr old demo (Holy Grail). For all intents in purposes it made no difference if it had been the MLS matchup with the 2+mil viewers and the same even demos. Why because the demos where even. The only thing the 2mil would have given us is bragging rights. That said I think we'll see a bigger push among networks to get MLS viewership up more via advertising as those networks will benefit from increasing younger demos. I've noticed a increase in MLS network partners advertising of not just games but MLS apparel to start the year featuring young attractive females women sporting MLS gear and staring seductively into the camera coincidence I think not
MLS Saturday TV ratings:756,000 viewers for ATL/NSH on FOX, up 3% compared to FOX's average MLS broadcast last season.558,000 Total Viewers 2+ for HOU/LAG on Univision (simulcast on TUDN). That's a new Univision MLS record for season opening for metric, & up +57% YoY.— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) March 3, 2020
Portland - Nashville OOH numbers: 142,490 Last night’s @MLS matchup between @TimbersFC and @NashvilleSC on @espn averaged 142,490 #OOH viewers and peaked at 8:44 PM with 174,525 #OOH viewers. #PORvNSH @MLS_PR @JonChampionJC @TaylorTwellman @worldsoccertalk @MLS_Buzz https://t.co/6Gc48Z0vFx— Tunity Analytics | an iSpot company (@TunityAnalytics) March 9, 2020 By the way, that beat every XFL game for OOH viewership
Related: OOH for Man U vs Man City on NBC averaged 569,780. That was higher OOH audience than all four college basketball games on ESPN, except North Carolina and Duke for the weekend: Yesterday’s @premierleague matchup between @ManUtd and @ManCity on @NBC averaged 569,780 #OOH viewers and peaked at 1:38 PM with 738,855 #OOH viewers. #MUNMCI @PLComms @PLinUSA @NBCSports @NBCSportsPR @NBCSportsSoccer @worldsoccertalk @arlowhite @LeeDixon2 @graemelesaux14 https://t.co/gNsPwYZiG4— Tunity Analytics | an iSpot company (@TunityAnalytics) March 9, 2020
So, I am trying to see how well OOH numbers predict in-home viewing. Last week OOH viewers made up an average 19%+ of all-sources video viewership, if my memory is correct. If that held for Portland-Nashville then combined in-home and OOH TV audience could crack 700,000. That’s probably too optimistic, If we assume the OOH numbers were 25% of all-sources video viewership, then the combined in-home and OOH audience was 569,960.
Yeah I was actually doing some of that I may be wrong but I think it may be close that the OOH number was about 40k higher avg 142,490 vs last week 103,380 and about 21k higher in peak OOH viewership 174,525 vs last week 153,855 OOH number for the Seattle vs Chicago match the drew 350k. With that said the ESPN number I think may be slightly higher and come in around 383k based off my calculations. Then again we may be wrong lol, but it'll be fun to track.
CCL Numbers from TUDN 580000 for Club America vs Comunicaciones 444000 for LAFC vs Leon 382000 for Tigres vs Alianza 298000 for Cruz Azul vs Portmore United 136000 for Atlanta United vs Motagua 65000 for NYCFC vs San Carlos (this one was also the lowest attended...) BTW the lowest rated stuff seems to always end up Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana on BeIn, and before you say "well, nobody has BeIn", Real Madrid vs Barcelona got 941,418 on BeIn. Doesn't look like we should be expecting South American soccer on a major channel any time soon. I'd expect it to go to a streaming service if it leaves BeIn.